Monty Blasts Tiger's Austerity Approach

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Jim Black reports on Colin Montgomerie's critical account of Tiger's play at Lytham in the wake of Andy Murray's aggressive play in the Olympic tennis.

As usual, Monty almost got it right.

"The Olympic title isn't a grand slam event but, at the same time, for Murray to go back to the court where he lost to Federer a month before and produce such an amazing win took a lot of doing. He tried to attack in their previous match, but Federer forced him on to the defence, while Woods always looked like he was playing for a place in the Open and third is what he got. You've got to bring out the driver and attack at some point, not constantly hit 3-irons and end up two-putting from 40 feet. Using your driver is part of the game, surely.

"I don't think Tiger is confident using his driver, having watched him spend two and a half minutes deciding which club to hit on the 11th tee at Lytham and, when he did make up his mind, he almost lost his ball.

"Murray showed that the way to win is by being aggressive and attacking. He beat the two best players in the world, Federer and Djokovic, to prove that he is as good as anyone in the game."

Now I know you've all committed my Golf World story about Tiger's week at Lytham to memory, but in case you didn't read it yet, I focused on the moment at the 11th tee because I was sitting there listening to the conversation between Tiger and LaCava thanks to intimate spectator roping.

It was a key moment and he did eventually hit driver. Instead of hitting a slight draw, which was necessary to offset the left-to-right wind, Tiger did hit the slight cut he'd been hitting and the wind took it about 30 yards right of the fairway in a mashed down rough area. So Monty got part of it right. 

That said, we will find out this week if it was a confidence situation or simply his strategic approach to Lytham, which, as I wrote in the story, kept him in contention but when the time came to shake the reins and make a move at 13 and 14, he stuck to the plan. At 7,767 yards and soft, Tiger won't have a choice this week.

Monty On Not Playing Lytham: "It is all the more frustrating for me not to be involved this year, as straightness has always been a strength of mine."

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The ubiquitous Colin Montgomerie has been signing books, giving interviews galore and in general, is making his presence felt this week at Royal Lytham and St. Annes, almost as if he was a former champion here (or anywhere).

But the former Open runner up is saving his most ridiculous insights for Daily Telegraph columns that should give the makers of Ambien cause for concern. Two stinkers from today's preview piece:

Of course, the rough in Kent was not as tough as the stuff we have here at Lytham. But then, the Lytham rough is not as fearsome as some people have suggested. Of course, there will be a penalty for anyone who goes into it, but it is one of the fundamentals of golf that bad shots should be punished and good shots, which at Lytham means straight shots, should be rewarded. Here, I like the fact that the worst of the rough, the really deep stuff, is far off line, meaning there is an element of proportionality to the punishment as well.

Of course, that's gibberish. The setup goes like this: Fairway, intermediate cut, rough of varying heights/density, slightly mashed roughs of varying heights/density, then rough mashed a bit where the media walks and finally, mashed down rough where the fans walk. Not proportional.

Lytham is maybe a little bit different from other Open courses as the houses that surround it offer some protection from the wind.

Some, being the operative word here. Wind protection from one-story homes?

Holy Monty: Fails In His U.S. Open Bid, But Not Before Getting Some Quality Driving Time...By Himself!

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For a man who lost his license over his proclivity to drive too fast, especially when Coldplay comes on the radio, and who cheated death in a car accident, I think it's fair to say the former Ryder Cup captain made a strange call to drive 900-miles home after the BMW at Wentworth and then return immediately after some tea and upon fetching a new putter.

But that's what this wire story claims:

"Who in their right mind would do that? But yes, I did," Montgomerie said. "I left Wentworth at 2pm, was home at 8pm, had tea with the family, left at 11pm and got here just after 6am."

A four‑under‑par 68 put the 48-year-old Scot on course to play in San Francisco next month, but he followed it up with a 72.

And the round featured the usual Monty dramatics:

Montgomerie missed out on a play-off by two strokes, so could look back on his pitch to the 17th hitting the flagstick and rebounding 15ft away, then lipping out from the same distance on the last.

You can view the Walton Heath Sectional results here and also count up the number of WD's, a qualifying tradition in England.

Monty Gives Branson Lesson on Plane Wing; No Structural Damage Reported

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I know, predictable fat jokes aren't fair these days now that Monty has dropped so much weight that I did a double take when spotting him under the Big Oak.

So here are four minutes of your life you won't' be getting back. But before you move on, in those four minutes we learn Monty is helping Richard Branson launch the "Swingers Club" (yes, the same Monty who has been dogged by...anyway...). And best of all from the Virgin executive, there was this statement about Monty: "If not the greatest, one of the greatest golfers in the world."

I knew I'd get you to watch!