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SAAB WALES OPEN

June 3, 2011

Colin Montgomerie

NEWPORT, WALES

Q. Victim of the hard week, Monday and didn't quite have it in the legs?
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Yeah, I think I'm not 25 anymore, you know. I think it did show sometimes. Disappointing to play in that weather, as well. Monday was awful, and I was knackered after Monday, I think we all were, everybody that completed the 36 holes. It was hard work, very hard work after Wentworth, a long a way around, and this is a long way around, too. And it's become very difficult now, as well, this. It's playing as long as I've ever seen the course. It was playing shorter in the rain.
So trying to get around -- and so we'll go home right now, take a day at home, at least, and come back down on Sunday for the qualifying at Sunningdale. As Mark was saying yesterday, it has become very important for me, qualifying at Sunday now. I've not had a year where I have not competed in a major before, so I want to keep that. I've played in The Open 21 years in a row and I want to keep that record going. So it's become quite important that I compete and get through on Monday, very important.

Q. Day of rest might help?
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Well, that's why I'm going home.

Q. What is it, eight-hour drive?
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: No, no. V-12.

Q. Is that something that you need to look at, three tournaments --
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I think so, I'm very busy. You think you're just a tournament golfer but there's a lot more that goes on behind the scenes, a hell of a lot.
And you know, we have got this week on Monday, I'm doing the 36 holes, and I'm off to Holland for another company day on Tuesday. I'm managing to get a flight into Milan Tuesday night to get to the Pro-Am in time to play in Italy, and it's hard work. But I can't get -- my day starts at 8:30 in Holland on Tuesday morning, so I have to get a driver through the tunnel because I can't fly; by the time the flight lands, it's too late.
It's busy, very, very busy. It's good busy, don't get me wrong. It's good being busy, but it takes its toll as you say trying to compete against guys that are only doing this, and guys that are less than half my age only doing this. It does take its toll.
So, it's unfortunate, but that's the way it is and I've got to accept that sometimes.

Q. Have you played more this early season than you might have done back in the years when you were up there?
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Well, I've only played about 15 times last year because of The Ryder Cup obviously, and you know, things got in the way. I want to try and play a little bit more than I have and try to play out of the way I'm playing. I played okay last week, but that's once in a bloody blue moon. That's not enough to shout home about, and then you're back to square one here, with a bump.

Q. Is that the biggest frustration, that you were not able to garner any momentum from last week?
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Yeah, I think Monday was a key. Monday came at the wrong time. If I could have managed to have qualified for the U.S. Open on Monday, I think it would have kept me going here, the deflation of not qualifying on Monday, did not help here. So I've got to try and use the time now, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, to try and gain some confidence again for Monday.
As I say, Monday is becoming very important now for me, very important.

Q. Given the affection that you had over here this week, obviously the memories, does it hurt anymore?
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Yes, I would have loved to have played. Playing well last week, I felt I could come in here and perform well again. I like the golf course, I do; is and it's not because we won The Ryder Cup here, I love the golf course. I just played awful.
So, yeah, it is very disappointing not to be playing at the weekend here, never mind contending, yeah, very. Not just playing at the weekend, I'm one of the last names on the board, you know. Awful. Awful.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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