COLIN MONTGOMERIE – FOURTH ROUND – 69. TOTAL: 271 (-17)
It’s a great honour for me to win this. It’s our flagship event. Everybody on the European Tour was playing and playing well. We had Lee Westwood on form from last week’s win and Darren Clarke full of confidence after his win at La Costa and Andrew Coltart finding great form and Sergio Garcia always there and there abouts, so it’s always nice to come out on top.
As Mark James so rightly said at the Tour Dinner, the future is very very bright in Europe and there are some very good players here who keep me competitive. It is very, very competitive here in Europe and it keeps me just about competitive enough. The standard here is very, very good and I have to play at my best to stay up there.
I'm thrilled with making history. No-one’s ever done this before and it is difficult to do. It was very close here
Darren Clarke Round Four 66 (-6) Total 274 (-14)
Played very well today. Had a poor finish this morning, birdied neither 17 nor 18. That put my back against the wall. Had I bee ten under I would have felt I would have had more of a chance. Hopefully I can keep on striking the ball like this and I can look forward to next week. I would love to give myself the opportunity to win.
Montgomerie has played fantastic. He knew what he had to do and he’s going to do it. He’s a quality player. We all know that and when he gets in the lead he tends to win. Not all the time but more often than not.
Andrew Coltart Round Four 69 (-3) Total 274 (-14)
I managed to keep it going today but didn’t really hit it close enough in the middle of the round when Colin was starting to make his move. I didn’t keep any pressure on him.
Unfortunately I hit a poor shot into the eighth and he hit close. Gave him a bit of breathing space there. And I didn’t really hit it close enough to the hole from there on in. But still a reasonable round.
This is one of the biggest tournaments of the year and this is where I want to be, challenging for the title.
Lee Westwood Round Four 68 (-4) Total 278 (-14)
Today was a day of what could have been. I didn’t get anything to the hole all day. I didn’t really put any pressure on him. He got off to a shaky start and I should have exploited it but I didn’t because I couldn’t hole any putts. That’s the difference really. You’ve got to hole putts if you are going to pull back a four shot deficit.
Sergio Garcia Round Three 68 (-4)
I woke up at 5.30, the difficult thing was getting out of my bed, but once you start going you do not feel that bad, you feel quite alright. Maybe I’ll feel very tired this afternoon.
I feel I still have my chances, I’m playing well, but I know I will need a very low round to win. Colin will maybe finish five shots clear and he will be alright with just two or three under par, but I will need a very, very good round if I want to win, and that still can be done .”
Due to darkness play in the third round was suspended with 36 players left out on the course
Ian Woosnam Round Three 68 (-4)
Played pretty good really. Holed some missed some. Missed a couple of short ones. Now missed three on that green (the 18th) of that length. It was about four foot. That green is getting more tricky. But I played all right.
Got to be happy with a 68. It can always be better but happy. Too far back now. Dropped one on the eighth when the ball screwed back off the green. That’s golf. I’ve probably come from five or six behind before.
Sergio Garcia
No big difference from the previous rounds. Started very well and made a couple of birdies at the fourth and fifth. Bit unlucky on the next when I hit a good shot but the wind picked up. Made bogey. Made a good four on nine. Two long putts.
Great shot on ten to 10 feet. On 11 to 6 inches and 12 drive, 3 wood two putts. Just two inches short on 13th for four in a row.
Really got it going. If I can finish at ten under I think I will be in good shape.
Andrew Coltart
It’s going all right. I thought I would be further behind but I’m not. Encouraging.
Lee Westwood
I’ve got myself into the tournament now, although I thought I was in it from the start of the day. I had my doubts when I went back to two under par, ten behind at the time, but I hit some good shots and made some good putts. No lead is insurmountable because it’s quite difficult to protect a lead around here, especially when you are double defending a tournament and you’ve gone in front pretty early in the tournament as Monty has. A four shot lead sounds like a lot but it’s not.
COLIN MONTGOMERIE – SECOND ROUND - 65
“To be twelve under par round here is a good effort in four rounds, never mind two. That was a good day. One of the best days I’ve had for a long, long time. I’m playing very well obviously and seem to be putting a bit better and when I putt well I’m usually on top, so I’m very happy with today’s play.
Hitting the fairways is No.1. If I can do that things usually click. I got up at 5am today. I’m usually a bit later on Saturday. But all credit to Chris Kennedy and his crew. I must point out they did a hell of a job to keep us going.”
DARREN CLARKE - SECOND ROUND - 68
Clarke played in the group with Colin Montgomerie and Sergio Garcia.
“All three of us were chatting away for the two rounds. We really enjoyed each other’s company. Sergio and I just asked each other what course he (Montgomerie) was playing.
The course was in great shape when we got out there and didn’t have long to wait to get back out. I eagled the 18th this morning and couldn’t wait to get back on the first tee again. It worked out well.
If I play as I can, I will have a chance. But giving Monty a four shot start round Wentworth, I don’t think anyone would envy that position. My game is almost back where I want it to be and if I do raise my game and he doesn’t go mad again I might give myself a chance”.
ANDREW COLTART – SECOND ROUND – 69
“It’s not very often we play more than 18 holes in a day so it was tough mentally as well to keep concentrating and keep focussed. It was always going to be tricky. You didn’t have a lot of time to stoke up. There’s a long way to go. I’m playing nicely. If I can keep playing the way I am then hopefully the opportunity will present itself on Monday but there is a long way to go yet. The greens are lovely. When you consider the amount of rain they have had even last weekend right through to now. I gather the guys were working through the night. I think they are fantastic and they are going to get a lot of credit for that”.
SERGIO GARCIA – SECOND ROUND – 71
“It’s been a very long day, it rained, it stopped, then it was hot, then the wind was blowing. It hailed when I was hitting the driver at the 11th. We’ve spent all day opening and closing the umbrella”.
GARY EMERSON – SECOND ROUND – 69
“4.45 this morning I was up. Six holes this morning and then straight back out. The course is fantastic. It’s held up under the weather we have had. It’s tremendous effort. I hope the weather gives them a break tonight”.
Round One Interviews
NICK O’HERN – FIRST ROUND – 65 (-7)
This is the first time I’ve played here in a tournament. The course is just fantastic – long and pretty tough. That’s about as good as I can play around here. I’m pretty pleased. The last couple of days on the driving range I started hitting the ball pretty well and my short game is usually good. If I hit the ball well I can shoot a low number.
RICHARD GREEN – FIRST ROUND- 67 (-5)
A lot of what I’ve been working on since I came here has paid off – playing the game rather than getting wrapped up in the swing. I am exactly the same as Nick O’Hern – everything I play with two hands I’m left handed and everything with one hand I’m right handed.
ROBERT KARLSSON – FIRST ROUND – 67 (-5)
It was a very solid round I only missed two fairways. Wasn’t really out of play and chipped and putted well. So when I missed I made up for it. Quite an uneventful round. Holed a couple of putts. It felt very easy today. This is definitely the longest I have played Wentworth. This course, like Sunningdale, usually plays quite tricky.
STUART LITTLE – FIRST ROUND – 68 (-4)
Very pleased with a 68. It’s my fifth year coming here and it’s nice to get off to a good start and most importantly maintain the form throughout the 18 holes. It was very enjoyable. Came here through the PGA West Region, topping the Order of Merit the last three years.
PAUL LAWRIE – FIRST ROUND – 69 (-3)
I played really nicely early. Missed from three feet at the first but holed some good ones after that. It was harder towards the end as it was raining heavily and the ball doesn’t go so far. I played really well though and I’m pleased with my start.
LEE WESTWOOD – FIRST ROUND – 71 (-1)
Got off to a bad start. Hit the wrong club at the first - a six iron - and made a bogey. I played awful and shot 71 so at least I limited the damage
Preview
Colin Montgomerie
If you’d said to me in 1998 that I could be going for three in a row I’d have said that’s not going to happen. There is now a reasonable chance that it might. I just have to play the way I have the last two or three times I’ve been round this course which is to keep the ball on the fairway, keep patient and putt reasonably well and it’s amazing what can happen if I do that. I am doing that right now and I am obviously quite confident of retaining the title. I just have to go out with that positive attitude and see what happens.
This is our No.1 European Tour event and will remain so I feel for a very long time. You can add in majors and World Championship events, that’s fine, but this is the European Tour’s flagship event and will remain that way. It has been for the last 20 years and will do for the next.
Ian Woosnam
I had a good finish last week, third. Lately I’ve been playing pretty reasonably but a little bit up and down. I feel I’ve just got to get it all clicking together and it’s going to be a matter of time before winning. This golf course gives me a lot of confidence. I like it and hopefully this will be the week.
My all-roundness is getting better. I’m starting to drive the ball better. I’m still working day in day out with Peter Cowen. Still working on the things we started on a year ago. I got myself into some bad habits. It’s starting to turn around but it takes years to get back out of them.
Darren Clarke
I’ve had a couple of chances here. I like the golf course. I’ve always liked it. This year I think it’s set up fantastic. I think they’ve done a great job, a couple of new tees but the course is great so I hope we can keep it on the fairways this week and give myself some chances.
Last Sunday I left eight putts short and that’s not me. I didn’t really do anything right last Sunday. I’ve got to try and give myself the opportunities to nock some in.
Wentworth is a shot-maker’s golf course. You’ve got to hit it high, low, right to left, left to right and work the ball in a lot. I enjoy that format, that way of playing.
Paul Lawrie
I could have won here in 1996 but Costantino Rocca finished birdie, birdie to win by two which was a fantastic performance. I played very well that week and had a chance. I didn’t make mistakes coming in which was good. It was a huge tournament for me trying to win the PGA and I would like to play as well this week.
My driving gives me constant problems. I have days when I can hit 11 or 12 fairways and others when I hit five or six. I need to be more consistent with the driver if I’m going to be top ten in the world which is what I want to do. That is the only thing that gives me real problems. It would be nice to hit nine or ten fairways every day. Last weekend I drove poorly on the second round and played nicely on the weekend. The driver is the thing that gives me problems. The rough is quite thick this week so driving well is going to be very important.
