Monty eyes Masters boost

Colin Montgomerie is not alone in thinking that this week’s Accenture world match play championship in Arizona is something of a lottery.

But the 44-year-old Scot also knows it is a massive opportunity for him to kill two birds with one stone.

Looking to climb back into the world’s top 50 in time for the Masters in April - he is down to 62nd in today’s rankings – and to ignite his Ryder Cup bid Montgomerie said: “I’ve got four more events before Augusta and I need a couple of top 10s or one big week.

“Win your first two rounds in the Match Play and that’s joint ninth place, which is incredible really. It’s the easiest top 10 of the year and that would give me a bunch of points.”

Because of the strength of the field Montgomerie would receive more world ranking points – and the same number of cup points – if he makes the last 16 than he did for finishing joint third in the French Open last year.

He is, though, ranked 59th of the 64 players in the field and has to tackle the formidable Jim Furyk in Wednesday’s opening round, but even world number one and top seed Tiger Woods accepts that 18-hole knock-out is the format that produces more shocks than any other.

Woods has taken the title twice and reached the 2000 final before losing to Darren Clarke, but he has also been beaten twice by Nick O’Hern and once by Peter O’Malley, Jeff Maggert and Chad Campbell.

Former world number two Furyk, meanwhile, has never made it to the semi-finals and has been sent packing by three Europeans – Clarke, Ian Poulter and Swede Patrik Sjoland – and also Campbell, Kevin Sutherland, Davis Love and Zach Johnson.

Montgomerie adds: “It’s a lottery, but it can be a lottery in a positive sense. You can have the second best score of the day and fly home or have the second worst and stay.

“I’m just glad I’m in – it was a tight one. Too tight.”

His sixth place in the Qatar Masters last month secured his place and was also his best finish since he made the European Open the 40th victory of his professional career last July.

“My game lacks consistency, that’s all. It used to be that I’d have a picture in my mind and the ball went there, but now it doesn’t.

“It’s nothing to do with age. I’m just not believing where it’s going positively enough.

“But my ambition is stronger than ever. Winning is huge and I am not frightened of winning.”

Trouble is, he knows that more of his rivals are not scared of it either than used to be the case.

“Fifteen to 20 players could win when I started. Now it’s 50 to 60. They’re not frightened and they work harder on all aspects of the game.

“In the 90s I found a number of people who were frightened of winning. They were prevented somehow.”

Making it to the Masters has taken on huge importance in spite of his recent record there – two missed cuts either side of his failure to qualify in 2005.

“I don’t want to miss out. Being a Ryder Cup year I’d be losing out on precious points not competing and it puts you on the back foot. It’s important that I do.

“I don’t know whether Nick (Faldo) is playing this year, but to have the non-playing captain there and one of his potential team members not playing does not look great, you know.

“I’ve got to do my darnedest to try to get in.”