home jobs contact us
Our Clients:
Browse by Sport
Find us on ASAP sports on Facebook ASAP sports on Twitter
ASAP Sports RSS Subscribe to RSS
Click to go to
Asaptext.com
ASAPtext.com
ASAP Sports e-Brochure View our
e-Brochure

DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP


October 6, 2002


Colin Montgomerie


ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND

GORDON SIMPSON: Well, Colin, a wonderful round of golf today. I know that you wanted the course record but I know you would be a disappointed with that finish to say the least. It looked like 61 was a possibility.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Yeah. Well of course. But let me start off by saying when you stand on that 17th tee and it's getting colder and the breeze is picking up and you're 9-under for the day, you possibly take, you take four, four to finish. And I was thinking of eight shots to finish. Now whether that was five three or has it happened it was three, five. But you take eight shots to finish the round off. And I was very fortunate at 17 because I pushed my drive. But it's much better being right off that tee, I always feel, than going left. Especially when they put the pin behind the bunker there. And you at least have some sort of angle to come in for the second shot. So I try and get as far right as I possibly can without going out of bound, obviously. I did that right. And I was very lucky with my 6-iron. I pulled it about five yards and I was fortunate.

18, of all times to land in a sort of seeded one of these seeded divots. You know, I much prefer the situation where the green keepers would leave holes, you know, it's much better to play out of a hole. I think you all know yourself, a seeded divot from that distance, it's very difficult to have to catch my L wedge absolutely perfectly and I didn't. I just caught it a touch heavy. And of course it was exaggerated by the fact that it wasn't lying properly. And I've never putted from the Valley of Sin before at all and it's very, very slow. So if you ever have a putt from there remember it's very slow going up that hill. And I thought I holed, I thought I holed my next putt. I must admit it. It short of wandered off to the right, surprising me, because it should have come in right-to-left. So I thought I holed that. But all in all I can't complain. I've had a good, a very good two weeks in high life.

GORDON SIMPSON: Did you have a number in mind after the 12th, because you birdied six in a row.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Sure. After going around the lip and birdieing every hole, you want to try and get as many 3's in that loop as possible, but to add in a couple of 2's was real bonus. And then to, after the, after 12 it was getting interesting, I must admit. To be 9-under after 12, the round was beginning to get interesting then. I got a couple of poor lies at 13 and 14. The second shot at 13, my third shot at 14, and then on 18. So it's just one of these things that stopped me. But that was okay. I can't, I'm not complaining about 63. Don't get me wrong. It's a good score.

Q. (Inaudible.)

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I wasn't playing any Chinese or Indian or Paraguayans today. I had an Englishman and a Dutchman. And I felt quite comfortable. Whenever you're expected to win on any course it's always quite difficult. And I've had my problems on this course before, because it is a unique place and a unique golf course and it is quite difficult sometimes. But I've had my disappointments here and I've had my success here as well. And it's nice to have a reasonable amount of success this time. I'm very tired and I wasn't really doing much the first three days. And today was obviously very, very good.

Q. How would you describe today's round?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: In comparison to last week, last week was very different. Obviously I had a job to do. I was given a particular role and a responsibility, if you like, from Sam. And I'm only glad that I managed to pull that responsible role off in a way.

Today was very different. I was just playing for myself. And it's a lot easier today. So last week was much more important to me than this round of golf. Yeah. It was a responsible position I had last week. There was no responsibility today at all. Just I wanted to play quite well. Which I'm doing right now.

Q. What are your plans for the rest of this season?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Well, I'm off to Paris on Tuesday and then for the Trophee Lancome, back for the World Match Play and then we just keep rolling along, you know.

Q. Last week has given you the belief that all things are possible again?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Sure. People say to me that it's, probably the Major opportunity has gone, but -- and then you sort of, in sort of the down times you tend to believe that sometimes. And self-doubt creeps in. And you feel, okay, it's not going to happen. Majors are more difficult to win because Tiger's entered them now. And it's, they are more difficult to win. But if I come into a Major the way I have this week and also last, especially last week, of course I will have an opportunity of winning. Yeah. And there's people that won Majors in the past three years, Tiger hasn't won them all, people won Majors in the last three years that I feel I'm as good as. So there's no reason why I can't. And I would like to do that. I mean it doesn't, it won't change me in any way, it won't change my life. It will just probably change your questioning for the next couple of years.

(Laughter.)

Q. (Inaudible.)

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I do.

Q. Presumably you want to win again before the season is out.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Sure. But that's not a goal as such. The goal is to play well. And I know if I play well, I don't have to look at the leaderboard, I'm on it. I'm very fortunate to say that. I'm good enough to be able to say that. And I hope that's not being big headed in any way. I just know that if I play well, if I play and putt well, I'm on the certain leaderboard. And I'm very fortunate to say that. And as long as I'm on the leaderboard enough, well the door will open occasionally. And I haven't won this year and it's been a little bit disappointing in a way. I thought I was going to win either the PGA or the Deutche Banc early on. But never mind, it doesn't alter anything. It's not the be all and end all for me to win.

Q. (Inaudible.)

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: No, I didn't, I had nothing to do with the Ryder Cup. No, I was won of 12. Didn't matter who got the points. I didn't win anything. No. No.

Q. Did you think you could win today?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Yes, I did. After the 12th hole I thought I could win today, yeah. Yeah.

Q. (Inaudible.)

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I needed to get more birdies. I wasn't, it wasn't a total that I was thinking about. But 20-under would have been good. And that would have been, obviously that would have meant I would have had to score 60. But I wasn't thinking about 60. I was thinking about 20-under. It didn't matter where I started or where I came from. I just had to score 20-under, I felt. So I failed in that task. But I did okay.

Q. (Inaudible.)

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Yes. Yeah. Yeah, you do. You feel like you could birdie every hole. Of course you do. You just birdied six in a row, there's no reason why not carry on. Sure.

Q. Would you suggest any changes to this format or are you happy with it?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: It's very difficult for me to say and it's not my decision. And I don't want to say anything. I think it's been a great success. I think this tournament was very very fortunate to have three courses. I believe that the courses we used here are better than the AT&T courses. And we're very fortunate to say that here. If we have weather like we had this week, the tournament has been a great success, yeah. And I think that all the amateur players that I spoke to, 168 of them, there's a lot. And I believe they have all enjoyed themselves thoroughly. And what more can you say about amateur golf, as long as amateurs enjoy what they do in their leisure time, well that's good.

Q. (Inaudible.)

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Well, it's amazing actually how many balls land there. And I might actually have a putt now and hit it a bit harder. I'd have to. Because, as I said, I thought I hit that okay, but it was actually 12 feet short. It actually just stayed on top. I can talk to him and Lawrie and a few others that have done better than me.

Q. Do you think you can win another Order of Merit?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: That doesn't interest me. It did. It doesn't interest me any more at all. If it happens, it happens. I won't be battling for it. I have a big T-shirt with a number 7 on the back for that one. Thank you very much. I've been there and I've done that and I don't have to do that again. No.

GORDON SIMPSON: Okay, every one. Well played again today.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Thank you.

End of FastScripts....

About ASAP SportsFastScripts ArchiveRecent InterviewsCaptioningUpcoming EventsContact Us
FastScripts | Events Covered | Our Clients | Other Services | ASAP in the News | Site Map | Job Opportunities | Links
ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297