WEDNESDAY JULY 11
COLIN MONTGOMERIE – PREVIEW INTERVIEW
Q. In view of what has been written in the press about the Ryder Cup situation, maybe you would like to say a few words from your standpoint?
A. Yes, thanks. I read some reports this morning that were shocking to say the least. Because I say I like playing with some players on the European Tour, it doesn’t mean I don’t like playing with the rest of them. Because I support Scotland’s bid for the Ryder Cup, does not mean I don’t like Ireland or Wales or Sweden or England or whoever else. Let’s get that clear for one. Number two is of course I support Scotland’s bid for the Ryder Cup, how can I not? And yes, if I had a choice, in my opinion, Turnberry would be great. We’ve played on inland courses for a while, we’d have played on inland courses at The Belfry in 1993 and Valderrama in 1997, inland courses in 2001 and inland courses in 2005. My opinion would be that it would be nice to go back to a traditional links course in 2009 which would be Turnberry, but that is only my opinion.
Q. Does that clarify the matter?
A. Hopefully. And I thoroughly enjoy playing golf in Ireland as hopefully the golfing press amongst you would have noticed over the past two weeks and they enjoy me playing there too.
Q. Do you have your wellingtons?
A. It’s raining, it’s unfortunate, they’ve had a good time and it just unfortunate that the weather has broken because there is nothing we can do about that, people are blaming me in the locker room for it. They’re saying, look it’s raining in Scotland, I said look it’s not actually my fault. I’m sorry but this just happens and hopefully it will blow itself out. It is much better to have it yesterday and today rather than Thursday through Sunday and it seems to be it should clear up to allow us to play. I am glad the greens have been redone here to the fact that I hear they used to absorb almost one hundredth of the water they do now. So there should be no problem there, the course is in great condition again, they’ve done a great job. To redo all 18 greens seven months before a tournament is a fantastic achievement to get them as good as they are. They should drain the best of any greens on Tour, so we’ll see how that happens. We played nine holes yesterday evening before we got drenched and had to miss the photo opportunity yesterday with the First Minister because I was absolutely drenched but there is a cocktail party tonight which I am hosting with him at Rossdhu House and of course I will be there.
Q. Was your experience of the greens that they were that good?
A. They are very very good on the surface and obviously the weather can only make them not quite as good as they would be normally if it was sunny and calm but at the same time the greens are fantastic and the course is in great shape.
Q. What about the fairways?
A. Of course they are going to suffer as any would, anywhere, but we should be okay. There is no placing I believe which is a fantastic achievement. But any course which has taken this amount of rain over the last three days would suffer more than this one.
Q. What is it about Loch Lomond that seems to bring out exceptional winners?
A. I think it is more a second shot golf course, I’ve said this before, the fairways are actually quite generous. Nicklaus and Weiskopf are quite the same in that aspect that they give quite a generous landing area off the tee but then it starts to narrow in. I think the players who have won this tournament have been good iron players and control of iron distance is vital here and I think that is why the winners round here have been in that category you suggest.
Q. Is wind and rain an equaliser?
A. It can be yes, we’ve all heard the expression it is so windy it’s bringing everybody down to the same level. It can be but also in the fact that the top players can emotionally deal with the situation better than most so it depends. If the top players do go to three over early on they are better equipped to come back from that rather than say go to five or six over. It does equalise it slightly but not to that extent.
Q. You’ve said the timing of this event is not what you would choose, what are you doing to counteract that this week?
A. I’m just trying to be relaxed. Nine holes was even going to be enough weather permitting today, I wasn’t really going to go out, just do some chipping and putting to try and take pressure off myself and not to work too hard at it because like anyone else I do get mentally tired. I think I am just going to relax and take it easy. I have a committee meeting at four o clock and a cocktail party at six, so that takes up most of the afternoon and I haven’t much time really. It’s good because it takes my mind off the golf really.
Q. Have you ever been in the situation of trying to qualify for the Open during this week?
A. Back in the early 1990’s when I wasn’t exempt for the Open I had to play the Scottish Open when it was at Gleneagles and had to go down and try and qualify wherever that was. I qualified for St Andrews in 1990, that was the last time, I qualified at Lundin Links. Let’s hope in ten years time I can still say that because it is getting tougher.
Q. What do you think of the Sunday finish here?
A. I think television had a big say in that obviously. The BBC were losing out on a second weekend day if you like and wanted that. Although that is not really for me to comment on because I am actually exempt. What you would rather ask is people who are in that position to have to make a choice if you like of having to make the cut here or……if you make the cut here you are guaranteed the biggest last place we have ever had, something like £5000 to finish 70th. And then you obviously have an opportunity of finishing in the top eight who aren’t otherwise exempt. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush so you’d have great difficulty in withdrawing from an event of this stature to fail in both as opposed to failing in one, if you know what I mean.
Q. Why are you so mentally tired here then?
A. Being in contention. I’ve never finished outside the top ten in the five years I’ve played here and that is mentally tiring. Playing at home is more tiring than playing abroad and the expectation is such on me here that it is just a mental tiredness. And that day that had to be dealt with on the Sunday, that was mentally tiring. So I’m glad I’ve got the Monday off this year and I will drive up to Lytham on the Tuesday more relaxed and hopefully I’ll be playing at Lytham on Saturday this time.
Q. Post mortem about the European Open?
A. I was just disappointed. I was in the water four times on Sunday and still managed to score 72 so although the negatives were quite severe, to score 72 was actually quite positive if you look at it that way. So if it was a glass half empty or half full case, you could take some positives from that and I’ve done that and I’ve come here like that. 16 and 18 were quite reasonable shots but they did go into the water which was quite close. 17 was a particularly bad shot but you’re allowed one of them so I would remain positive. I’ve come a long way. To think in Ireland where I won by five shots and if I’d finished properly at The K Club, I’d have finished second, so I have come a long way and now I’m looking forward to this week.
Q. Tiger Woods’s slump?
A. No. I think the world of golf, and I think he would see it this way too, has made the British Open bigger him not winning the US Open. The anticipation is greater now that there is more of a chance for people to perform at Lytham and it is not a cut and dried affair and that is why people will turn on the television and that is why the interest will be greater than it was. That’s why the Ryder Cup has been so good because it has been a competition. If it was a cut and dried affair as it was in the 1960’s and 1970’s then the word competition doesn’t spring to mind and people like competition. I think it is a better tournament now the British Open because he hasn’t won the US one.
Q. People said you had to play perfect golf to beat him but that event showed the fallacy of that?
A. Yes it did and that is not right. I don’t have to play perfect golf to win a Major. At Oakmont and even Congressional I could throw in a 76 and lose by shot and that wasn’t perfect golf for the week by any means. You don’t have to play perfect golf to win. You have to eliminate mistakes – you don’t want to leave the course with the if only business. It is such a huge word not only in golf but in life. If you can leave the course at a British Open saying well that’s the best I could have done, that’s fine, you don’t want to have any if onlys because then you are leaving shots on the golf course and throwing shots away and that’s what you can’t do. I’m sure Retief couldn’t say that, apart from the 72nd hole, but at the same time all credit to him for coming back.
Q. You talked about the US Open being your best chance of a Major, 1-4, where would you put the British Open?
A. I think a little bit more chance this year but a scale of one to four is difficult. I’ve always put the USPGA and the US Open as my best opportunities and then the Masters and the Open around there because I do prefer that style of golf but at the same time Lytham is quite tight off the tee, possibly one of the tightest off the tee and I am driving the ball particularly well right now so I am going there with more confidence than I did in the past. We’ll see. Tee times are very important. If you get a good early time on Thursday or even a very early time on Friday to get out there and post a score is most important and I can say I’ve never left an Open venue without saying if only I’d done that, and hopefully this year I can.
Q. What is a good time?
A. Before 8.30am would be great so if you know anybody of high standing in the R&A you know……yes 8.30 both mornings would be great! Or, as Gordon rightly says, how many times have we seen the leader come in at nine o clock at night. At the same time a four o clock tee time can be good too because the wind can die down and of course the greens don’t spike up. That could be the time to play.
Q. How often have you had that early time?
A. Not often enough. I’m usually about ten o clock and two o clock television times that I tend to be playing in. Obviously I’d prefer an early one but we’ll take what comes and see what happens.
Q. Can you remember a time when you had bad times both days?
A. You can play links courses where somebody is blown out and blown home and then you can get situations where you are into the wind on the way out and are looking forward to coming home and it switches on you and you think, bloody hell, this is a long day. I don’t remember a situation like that happening but it can and it is just the luck of the draw. You can have that – I feel as if I’ve had it – course I have, I must have had it! Where it was I’m not sure but of course I’ve had it – the last ten years!!
