Monty stays positive
After playing in every Open since 1989 Colin Montgomerie misses out at Sandwich this week.
Last year's Ryder Cup captain, 48, came up five shots short at the Scottish Open - his last chance to qualify - on Sunday night. But the fact that Montgomerie charged into a share of the lead with 12 holes to play has given him the belief that his days of major championship golf might not be over yet.
"I will keep trying - there's nothing else to do!" said the man whose five runners-up finishes in majors, including the 2005 Open behind Tiger Woods, are a record for someone who has never won one. "I'll start again and I'm a lot more hopeful than I was three weeks ago. It's been much better."
A month ago Montgomerie crashed out of the Wales Open with his worst score in Europe for 20 years - 15 over par for two rounds - and a day later finished last in the Open qualifier at Sunningdale.
But only two of his last 11 rounds have been over par and it was only at the end of May that he came seventh in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
"My putting has improved. That's been the big difference lately," he added. "At the end of the day it always comes down to that."
He sank a 50-foot putt on the second on Sunday and then almost chipped in for another eagle at the sixth.
At that point he was part of a seven-way tie for the lead, but a double-bogey at the short 11th effectively ended his hopes of the top-five finish that was the minimum requirement to get him to Sandwich.
As it turned out he would have needed to finish joint-second and instead he came 31st.
Compatriot Scott Jamieson got the spot instead.
