Colin Montgomerie returns to action for the first time since finishing runner-up in The Open Championship at St Andrews as he heads the home challenge in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.
The Scot delighted the partisan crowd at the Home of Golf when he produced his best placing in The Open in finishing second to Tiger Woods, a performance that showed the seven-time Order of Merit winner is back to his best.
It was Montgomerie’s highest finish in a Major since the 1997 US Open Championship and helped him climb to 22nd in the Official World Golf Ranking, a significant advance from his position of 83rd at the start of the year.
Three second places, in the Smurfit European Open and the Caltex Masters, presented by Carlsberg Singapore, in addition to The Open, and a further four top six performances have helped lift Montgomerie to second in The European Tour Order of Merit and within reach of an incredible eighth Vardon Trophy.
This week he turns his attention to the magnificent PGA Centenary Course at the Gleneagles Hotel where he will hope to become the first home winner of the re-branded Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. Montgomerie is, of course, Chairman of the tournament and will be leading the drive forward as Scotland and Gleneagles prepares to host The 2014 Ryder Cup.
Montgomerie will be in the forefront of the home challenge this week along with 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie. The 36 year old from Aberdeen is no stranger to success on Scottish soil having claimed his Open title at Carnoustie and then followed that with success in the 2001 dunhill links championship, played over the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.
Likewise Stephen Gallacher knows what it is like to win in front of the home crowd having lifted the dunhill links championship title last September.
The Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles may not yet have produced a home winner, but a number of players have come close, notably Raymond Russell, who finished joint second in 2002, Alastair Forsyth, who finished runner-up in 2003, and Steven O’Hara, whose joint third finish last year represented his best performance on The European Tour International Schedule.
Among those hoping to keep the title out of Scottish hands is the English Ryder Cup player Paul Casey, who will be hoping for a change of fortunes amid the splendour of the PGA Centenary Course.
Casey made his winning breakthrough in this event in 2001 and over the next three years continued to grow in stature. Last September he played a pivotal role in Europe’s record victory over the United States in The Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills Country Club and at the end of the season he partnered Luke Donald to victory in the World Golf Championships - World Cup. But this year, the 28 year old has struggled to reach the same form and will be hoping the return to Gleneagles will re-kindle his form.
