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THE BARCLAYS SCOTTISH OPEN

July 7, 2011

Colin Montgomerie

INVERNESS, SCOTLAND

Q. Did it go all as you wanted it to today?
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Not at all. Not at all. I'm disappointed. I played as well as I have for a long time, and bogeyed the two easy holes on the course, the third hole that everyone's birdieing, and the 9th hole that everyone seems to be birdieing, as well and I bogeyed them so there's a four-shot swing.
So I'm disappointed to finish that way, especially with a bogey on the easiest hole on the course. Very disappointed, came here for a reason, to gain as many World Ranking points and Race to Dubai, but also to get into The Open Championship, as well. Should have pushed ahead today a little bit more than I did. I played well today tee-to-green. I was driven on by playing with the No. 1 and Peter Hanson who I respect -- well, you know I do from The Ryder Cup situation. So driven on by them which is good.
I was the worst score of the group which was 5-under, so we had fun but at the same time I should have pushed on and done better than that.

Q. Will it be a situation when you do go home, you're a little upset right now, but you'll get in the car and when you get back to the hotel, you'll go, okay 5-under, that's pretty good?
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I've never ever done, that I've never got in a car and thought how great a day it is bogeying the last hole. I would never do that and the day I do that is the day I give up.

Q. At what stage do you go okay, forget about the top 5, let's just think about winning this thing?
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: That's exactly the goal if I'm there Saturday night, of course, yes, that's the goal of anybody, when to come here to qualify for The Open or do well or whatever the case may be. Come Sunday night you're here to win The Scottish Open and I'm here to try and do as well as I can. Who knows about winning anything at this stage but at the same time it's a reasonable start, of course, 5-under you would have taken it before you start. But halfway around, I wouldn't have done, when I eagled the 11th hole to go 5-under, I wouldn't have taken that at the end, no.

Q. Life in the old dog yet?
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Just a little bit, yeah. I should have done better. To miss the 9th fairway is a disaster, the thing is 110 yards wide and I went to the top left to try to get close in two and I found an impossible lie h to hit my second shot backwards and made a good five. So just disappointed to finish that way but at the same time did okay.

Q. People might be surprised to hear you say that you are disappointed given the fact you are only two off the lead?
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Well, if I wasn't disappointed, I would give up. I'm here to win and do well. If I wasn't disappointed with that finish, I wouldn't be here.

Q. You eagled the 11th, thought you were onto something?
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Yeah and immediately 3-putted, bogeyed the next hole and missed a 4-footer at the next hole for birdie so from then it was disappointing to be honest. And then to bogey the 9th, that wasn't a good finish. But no, I'm a competitor and here to compete and if I wasn't disappointed finishing with a bogey, I wouldn't be competitive and I wouldn't be here to compete.

Q. Was there a bit of nervousness and anticipation, given what's at stake this week?
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: It's been a long time. It's someone's whole career, playing in a tournament, a tournament I've loved and finished second and runner-up in and I want to play again in, I really do. Not saying anything against The Barclays Scottish Open, which is a good event but I want to play next week.

Q. Did you see Alex Ferguson out there today --
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: No I didn't. I was absolutely focused and in the zone.

Q. At home tonight once you've had time to reflect, will you feel more contented with a 67, or do you think the aggravation will remain?
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: No, look, I'm a huge competitor here, and I've got great drive and ambition to do well, and when you mess up the last hole, it's very disappointing, especially one so easy as that one, a 3-wood and a sand wedge, and you can't be bogeying that against a field of this strength, and a birdie there to tie Westwood, to lead, disappointing.
But I'll go out tomorrow and I'll battle away. I'm putting well, that's the key, I'm holing out much better than I have done. The last three weeks I've putted much better than I have for the last few years and that's kept me into the cuts and into what I'm doing. But I'm looking forward to tomorrow, I really am. The greens are great and the course is good and everyone says the same. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, I am, just disappointed now.

Q. The way you finished -- did you get a buzz being up on the leaderboard?
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Yeah, usually Mo means Molinari nowadays, and now it says Mo and n, it's quite nice. But it's nice to be on the leaderboard especially here in Scotland and it's a great event, and I'm enjoying to play here. It's a super place. This is a great place to play and I'm looking forward to it, so please don't be as depressed as I am, this is all right. I'm actually very happy.

Q. What did you hit for your second at the second?
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: My hybrid, whatever they are. Hybrid, it's a mixed bag. It's not a wood and an iron, it's half and half. Rescue, hybrid, we call them, e-zone or whatever, in our Japanese way.

Q. Would you say the golf gods are smiling kindly, given The Open record?
COLIN MONTGOMERIE: They weren't at 9, that was a terrible lie, I had to hit it backwards. You just try your best. I'll try my best here and do the best I can, that's all I can do. Today's okay. It's a fair start. That's all it is, just 21 miles to go, it's been a long walk to go. I'm very happy with what's gone on, 5-under. I need to press on, I need to get to 20, I need to get 5-under every day here and I need to get to 20-under every day, I know that, and it's disappointing to drop one at an easy hole at the end. I need to get to 20. That's the target.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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