WGC AMERICAN EXPRESS CHAMPIONSHIP

November 7, 1999

Colin Montgomerie

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Now that the stressful last few months has finished, I can now relate to what Tiger achieved. I can't quite believe. It's getting tougher. I've always said that. And the standard behind me is improving all the time. And whether it's going to happen eight times or not, I'll be trying, as I always have. My ambition never dwindled. But at this time, and I don't often say it, but at this time I must say that having won six and seven, I couldn't have done this without a certain amount -- a lot of support from a number of people. And it starts obviously at home. I'm convinced that over a number of years, seven of which, and even when I finished 4th and 3rd, back in '91 and '92, that nearly ten years, I wouldn't have done what I had without such a great wife and a family behind me. My dad has been a great support. And my wife has been fantastic. And now with my three children, they're just wonderful. I wouldn't have achieved what I achieved without their support. I have a great management team behind me in the office with Guy Kinnings and a fantastic PA at the office. I have a great coach in Paul Marchand, and I never have played better than I have this year. And I'm learning all the time. I just want to say without that support that things don't happen. I appear in front of you here, but when I leave I need a lot of support to achieve what I've achieved. And it's all down to them.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I think it is more so stressful now. Three in a row didn't -- wasn't a record. It didn't mean as much. When you get to six you want seven, and when you get to seven you want eight. And of course the stress level goes up accordingly. So hopefully next year I'll be less stressed out. But it is getting harder.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Well, from what I've just seen, there will be a lot more spoken about the 17th than I could ever say. I'll let Tiger Woods say that to you. Having seen his shot come in there, it's obviously -- it will be a talking point beyond what I can say.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I know enough and I just need to find out a technique and use it. I use too many grips and too many techniques on the golf course at one time. I have to find one particular technique and stick to it, and that's what I'll do over the winter, and I'll work it out. I have to hole more putts. The American TOUR as a whole putt better than our Tour does. And I feel I have to improve on that part of my game to be able to win in America and win consistently, more than I have worldwide.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: What I do better than anyone else in Europe is I have fantastic self-belief, and fantastic support behind the scenes that you guys might not realize. But my home life is very secure and very consistent. And that goes along with my game. I have a fantastic caddy. Our course management skills are possibly the best. And I'm executing more shots positively better than I ever have before, when I'm confident in what I do. Apart from that, nothing to it (laughter).

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: My ambition. I don't have to tell you guys I'm sure that I'm the most ambitious guy out here, probably second to Tiger Woods with ambition, and that's huge. And I want to achieve more and more from this game. And provided I can stay healthy and fit, I feel that I can improve again. If I've improved for this 12th year in a row, there's no reason I can't make it 13. I'm looking forward to next year, another challenge. But with seven behind me -- I never thought I'd ever achieve -- Seve Balesteros won six of these things, not in a row, but he won six. It's not just nice to meet a standard of his, but overtake it. And especially meaning more to me in a row is unbelievable. So it's beginning to sink in.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: That's not for me to say. This event is a very, very good event and a very well-run event, and I was impressed with everything around this event. Unfortunately what we've had is a very, very difficult wind over the last few days, and it's proving difficult today as the greens have dried out. And you'll hear -- if Tiger Woods doesn't win, you'll hear his view on that -- but the calendar year is not big enough. There's not enough weeks in a year. When the Americans are playing tournaments, big, big tournaments, opposite every major, and even the Ryder Cup, also. The calendar isn't big enough. We can't fit them all in. Things either have to drop or join up tournaments to make them -- I don't know what we do. But new tournaments are coming all the time and there's nowhere to put them, because there's not enough space.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I think in hindsight that the Americans would like to have their money list won or lost in America, and we would in Europe. When this leaves Europe and goes to America, it's a different -- in 2001 it may be a different scenario, but right now it's okay where it is.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: With the new front on that green, he's added at least three or four feet to that green. Remember Tiger putted into the water at the Ryder Cup. And they decided that should never happen again, and they widened the front of the green four feet. The greens have dried out with this wind, they've got very, very fast. And unfortunately what's happened is it's run back, not just to the front of the green where it was, but past that stage, past the new bit and in. You'll hear from Tiger Woods, I'm sure, what he feels about that.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Well, I said it wasn't going to change my schedule this year, and I didn't. I changed my schedule in the past to obtain an Order of Merit title. I didn't this year. And I kept to it. So, yes, I didn't change anything, so I didn't add anything. It just happened that this tournament was worth so much at the end of the year, that the stress levels increased accordingly, which is only natural.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Just around the Ryder Cup time. Funny, that. It was around about that when I realized that this record that might never -- that's not for me to say, someone will probably go and do it when I'm long gone, but it means an awful lot to me to keep on improving, because I feel that having won it once, I've had to improve every year to win it again. And that's what means most to me.