Monty: Lyle comments have dented my preparations

Colin Montgomerie will tomorrow make his 20th, and possibly final, attempt to win the Open Championship with his hopes having already suffered a potentially fatal blow.

Montgomerie failed to qualify for this year’s US Masters and US Open after sliding down the world rankings – he is currently 199th – and only qualified for Turnberry after a change in the rules gave places to the top 30, rather than top 20, on last season’s Order of Merit.