home

jobs

	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

ABU DHABI GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP

January 21, 2006

Colin Montgomerie

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Q. How is it when you shoot 65 and they still are pulling away from you on the leaderboard?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Easier conditions today, the course is playing that well, so the scores are going to be lower. Just signed a new course record there in the last five minutes always nice. It's been good. It's been a great day and the crowds are good again and I look forward to playing tomorrow.

Q. Is this like the Monty of old felt like you would win every event?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: That was back in the nine ties. I struggle with length, I have this new driver which is longer but I don't out hit an awful lot. They are stronger, they are fitter, they are younger and they are better. And I've got to try and sort of I have great control with my irons and that's how I scored. That's my score against the length of them. But the people like Stenson, they hit the ball a long, long way. It's interesting, it's a challenge.

Q. So does the new Monty think different on Saturday night what's going to happen Sunday?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I just have to go out and shoot 65 again tomorrow and that would get me to 18 under and that would have a chance. 18 under should be roundabout the short of score. Two 65s on the weekend, we'll see how we do.

Q. Inaudible?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I'm not saying I'm short, by no means get me wrong, but they are longer, and even with an iron. I'm between a driver and a 3 wood but I'm trying.

It's very, very I don't know they are stronger, fitter, younger and it is much more difficult now than it was, I sort of half expect it I suppose but it's different now. There's great, great players around.

Very strict cut at level par, couldn't have been level par a few years ago, that would have been plus one or plus two at least.

Q. How much have you seen of Stenson?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I played with him a couple of times at Seve Trophy and was most impressed, most impressed. He hits it over 300 yards every time, and he's the fourth straightest hitter on Tour or something crazy.

Q. Would you take him to the K Club?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Yes, yes, he's a young guy that can get through. He's had a great start and he's continuing this and I think he's ready. I don't think he wants to back away, either. He'll be at K Club sort of penciled in, but he's more than penciled in now, yeah.

Q. In America, anyone else you see challenging?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Yes, this Charles Howell is one of the few sort of young, young, young guys that's very good as well. Whether they are challenging for Ryder Cup spots, I don't know, but Stenson certainly is, yes.

Q. Inaudible?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I don't compete playing their game. All I can do is do my game and that 65 today, that's okay. 68 65, I guess I can do that, that's playing my game the best I do my game, all right. That's 11 under in two days, that's okay. I can't compete with what they are doing, the shots that they are doing but I'm doing okay in the way I do it.

Q. If winning couldn't be the best result for you, would you take a Top 3?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Depends what happens the last few holes. The last holes are more difficult; from 14 in, you can make a mistake or two. But you've still got to do it. If I'm within four, I have a chance, yes.

Q. Inaudible?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: It's different, pitching the ball, I pitch the ball about 265 on a good day. It's a fantastic asset to have the bunkers to go left or right off, 290 carries, I can't do that.

Q. Inaudible?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: It was a risky shot anyway, but I topped it and ran it on the ground inaudible I deserved it. (Laughter). That wasn't very good, actually. But at least a 3 wood, it had to be sort of a rescue type club that I needed and I went in with a 3 iron because that's what I've got.

Q. Any other shots you think you left out there today?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: A couple of putts. All week there's always a couple of putts, but I think that's fair result of how I played today.

Q. The third hole?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Of course, the third hole and a couple others but that's a fair result. You can't hole every one.

Q. Inaudible?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: There's a lot of World Ranking points and a lot of Ryder Cup points at stake and that's the goal, that's why I'm out here, to gain Ryder Cup points, to gain World points.

So, yeah, I want to make the team, I'm trying to make the Ryder Cup Team as quick as possible. I don't want to go to go too long before. I just want to qualify as high up as possible. I want to make it easy on myself.

Q. If you qualify, you can ask Stenson

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Yes inaudible my first choice.

Q. Is he the man to beat tomorrow?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Depends what happens the last few holes. DiMarco is very tough. He's come over here and trying to make up the numbers here. Vijay playing the first two days, he's a remarkable golfer now. Putting doesn't seem to be two great but he's very strong, and Jimenez does well out here. There's a lot of good golfers out there. It's building up to quite a good Sunday and a good tournament to start the year.

End of FastScripts.

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297