Montgomerie fails miserably
Whether Colin Montgomerie ever plays another major championship remains open to doubt after he failed miserably in a 36-hole qualifier for The Open on Monday.
A week after missing out by five shots in US Open qualifying - and three days after posting his worst 36-hole total in Europe for 20 years at the Wales Open - Montgomerie came nowhere near as close at Sunningdale.
An opening one over par 71 on the Old Course left the 47-year-old Scot knowing he needed "something like" his record-equalling 62 on the New last year to be among the 10 who made it through. But this time he could manage only a five over 74 - and other routes into what would be his 22nd consecutive Open at Sandwich next month are fast running out.
A top-five finish at either the French or Scottish Opens could do it and there are also two spots available through a mini-money list on the European Tour which continues at this week's Italian Open.
The man who has had five runners-up finishes in majors - a record for someone who has never won one - said: "It's disappointing, so I'll go to Italy and try again. I will be trying everything - as always."
Montgomerie was actually one under for his afternoon round with six to play, but then bogeyed the 13th and 14th and double-bogeyed the next two to fall to 77th and last place at that point on six over.
Montgomerie stayed in last place and finished a massive 18 strokes behind England's Graeme Storm, who won the event for the second time in three years - and again had a 62 on the New.
On 12 under he finished three ahead of Wales Open champion Alex Noren and four clear of Scot Peter Whiteford, England's Gary Boyd and 2002 Open runner-up Thomas Levet.
Kenneth Ferrie and Richard McEvoy qualified with Levet's fellow Frenchman Gregory Bourdy and Spaniard Alejandro Canizares on seven under, while five on six under went into a play-off for the final spot which was won by South African George Coetzee.
Others who missed out included former Ryder Cup hero Paul McGinley and Liverpool's Nick Dougherty.
