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.

The 46-year-old finished second in the Open in 2005, but his chances of a repeat appear slim after Sandy Lyle brought up the “cheating” controversy Europe’s Ryder Cup captain was involved in four years ago in Jakarta.

Lyle apologised for jeopardising Montgomerie’s preparation but did not withdraw his comment that what Montgomerie did in Indonesia – incorrectly replacing his ball after a weather delay – was “a form of what you would call cheating.”

The two-time major winner did plead the remarks has been taken “out of context”, but then added: “It’s all been well-documented. It’s all on video. It’s not like I’m fabricating.

“The drop wasn’t close to where it should be. And on TV it doesn’t lie.”

Montgomerie’s reaction to that was far from surprising, the Scot saying: “It’s a rather strange apology to be honest with you.

“It’s nothing much to do with me at all – it’s all Sandy.”