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U.S. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

June 18, 2006

Colin Montgomerie

MAMARONECK, NEW YORK

Q. Talk about the last hole.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Thank you, yeah. The last hole I played was 17 actually, so that was good (laughter). 17 was a drive outright and a 5 iron through the trees and a 40 foot putt. That was the last hole of golf I played.

Q. How difficult was this?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: This is as difficult as it gets. You wonder sometimes why you put yourself through this. I doubled the last there and Phil holed a very good putt to double the last. It's a very tricky hole, but it shouldn't be that tricky from the fairway. I did the hard thing, hit the fairway. That's my strength normally. I hit the wrong club for my second shot. We put ourselves into poor position after two shots, and then it was difficult from then on because that green is very fast.

Geoff holed a great putt for a par to avoid a four way playoff there, and all credit to him. He was the last man standing, really. It was the last man in.

At my age I've got to think positively. I'm 43 next week, and it's nice I can come back to this tournament and do well again, and I look forward to coming back here again next year and try another U.S. Open. Disaster (laughter).

Q. Did thoughts of a victory come to you once you made that great putt at 17?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: No, you don't think about winning when you're one ahead with one to play, no (laughter).

Q. What was the yardage on the second shot

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Not at all, no thoughts of victory at all. I was just having a Sunday game, just a game with Vijay, just a few thousand people watching, that was all (laughter).

Q. Yardage on the second shot at 18?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: 172.

Q. Did you switch club?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I switched from a 6 to a 7. I thought adrenaline would kick in. I usually hit the ball ten yards further in that circumstance. I caught it slightly heavy and it went slightly right. It was a poor shot, no question about that, and I put myself into poor position.

Q. Did the crowd support you out there?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Fantastic support, fabulous support, not just from the U.S. crowd, but from the New York crowd, and I thank them for that support. It was great, you know, to be non American coming over here and to have that support. It was great, and I thank them for that.

Q. Compare this disappointment to the disappointment of the other chances that you've had.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: This is the first time I've really messed up. Other chances I've had other players have done very well. Ernie has done well and Steve Elkington holed putts and Ernie has done well again. This is the first time that I've really messed up, which is okay. You're entitled to a couple of mess ups along the way.

Q. You referred to this as a disaster, and yet the winner is 5 over par. Would you say it was a fair test of golf?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Very fair test of golf. Par means nothing, it's the total that counts, and 285 is actually a very good score around here. It's a very demanding test, the most demanding test we've ever had, and 285 is a great score because actually it's par 72 anyway. There's no problem with plus 5, no. I think the USGA set the course up very well, and all credit to them.

End of FastScripts.

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