Monty completes thrilling comeback

Colin Montgomerie, so many times Europe’s Ryder Cup hero, produced a sizzling back nine to hold off American Charles Howell in the second round of the Accenture Match Play Championship today.

Howell took the lead with four successive birdies from the 10th hole, but Montgomerie dug deep to birdie three of the next four holes and score a hard-fought one-up victory at Dove Mountain.

The 59th seed, who only barely qualified for this World Golf Championships event, was understandably excited to advance to the last 16.

“That’s a good effort,” said Montgomerie, who joked that he would give himself a pat on the back if only he was a little younger and more flexible.

“Charles birdied the 11th to go all square and my caddie said, ’right, Mr Montgomerie, it’s Ryder Cup mode’. I was four under from then on, so he should say that more often in stroke-play events.

“We’re in the last 16 and delighted. I look forward to playing again tomorrow.”

Montgomerie believes the pivotal hole was the 14th, where he hit a six-iron to three feet to win the hole and make it all square.

“That was the key,” he said. “It gave me the initiative to birdie 15 as well.”

It was a round of two halves, with both players struggling a little on the tougher front nine before taking advantage of some of the easier holes coming home, making five birdies a piece.

Montgomerie said: “The front nine the pins are extremely tight, and that’s why you’ll find that today the scoring is perhaps better on the back nine.”

By pure co-incidence, Montgomerie, who beat Jim Furyk yesterday, has come up against Americans in the first two rounds.

European Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo, in Tucson as a television commentator, must have been suitably impressed, and will have another chance to watch a mini Ryder Cup showdown tomorrow as Montgomerie takes on yet another American, Stewart Cink.

In an all-British showdown, Englishman Paul Casey recovered from a slow start to mow down Welshman Bradley Dredge two and one.

It was turning into a mixed day for the European contingent, with Irishman Padraig Harrington and Spaniard Sergio Garcia making early exits.

Cink beat Harrington two-up, while Garcia was no match for Boo Weekley, the American winning decisively three and one.

“We both struggled a little here and there,” Weekley said. “The last couple of holes, I just told my caddie we’ve got to either go for it or we’re done.”

He went for it and Garcia was subsequently done.

Australian Aaron Baddeley advanced to the last 16 without even hitting a shot after his American opponent, David Toms, withdrew with a back injury.