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Monty at the US Open

Published

17 years ago

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With the US Open coming up, Bag Chatter casts its eye over one of the most successful European golfers yet to win a major, Colin Montgomerie.

Since turning professional in 1988, ‘Monty’ became one of the most dominating forces on the European Tour winning the Order of Merit 7 times in succession from 1993-1999. Personal problems saw his form dip over the following years until 2005 when a rejuvenated Montgomerie surprised many critics and won the Order of Merit for a record 8th time.

Compared to these successes, the lack of a major victory is a noticeable absence. During the mid to late Nineties, Montgomerie was a regular figure near the top of the leader-board at majors where his trademark booming fade would split the tightest of fairways with pinpoint accuracy and allowed him to attack pins that others could not dare to.

With the emphasis on precision off the tee and minimising mistakes on what is traditionally the toughest course professional golfers play, The US Open is the major most suited to his game and has finished in the top 3 there 4 times in his career but his inability to convert high finishes into a victory have meant that he has been labelled one of the most talented players never to have won a major.

Following on from a third in 1992, he lost a play-off to Ernie Els in 1994 and then lost out to Els again in 1997, this time in regulation play. Montgomerie shot back to prominence in 2006 when he was back amongst it, fighting with Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk and Geoff Ogilvy for the lead. Apparently forgotten in the blaze of attention that followed Mickelson’s collapse at the last and Ogilvy’s gutsy chipping, few seem to remember how close he was to lifting the US Open Trophy. Only needing a par on 18 and having split the fairway with a perfect drive, he was left with an approach shot straight onto the green. Caught between a 6 iron and a 7 iron, he choose the latter relying on adrenalin to make up the extra yards. Hitting pretty much his only imperfect shot of the day, he ended up short-sided in the thick ball-eating rough that the US Open is known for and a double bogey was the result and a victory for Ogilvy.

While some took this as evidence that the Scot can’t close the deal when the pressure is on, often it has been a combination of bad luck and inspired play from his opponents as much as it has been bad play just at the worst time

Often unfairly the target of barracking from the crowds, Montgomerie has always been perceived as being more sensitive than most pros to heckling. In fact, with his awareness of outside movement and noise some wit once claimed that when he turned professional, golf marshalling lost one of their most talented members.

The fact is that the roll call of his victories and his extraordinary Ryder Cup record shows that he is a talented and determined golfer who knows what it takes to win and win in difficult circumstances. That he has slipped to 102 in the world shows that all is not right with his game but there is too much fight in him to go down without trying.

Standing in his way this year are a whole host of golf’s goliaths – the resurgent Adam Scott – newly moved to number 3 in the world, a refocused Sergio Garcia – back to his best with victory at the Players Championships, a re-energised Phil Mickelson – with multiple wins already this year, and a rehabilitating Tiger Woods – who’s playing record indicates that he owns Torrey Pines. None of these men are going to meekly step aside to allow Montgomerie his day in the sun.

With the years creeping up on him and seemingly still searching for the right equipment, time looks to have run out for him but his supporters will be wishing him the best and hoping that this will be the time that wins the major that he so richly deserves

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1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Dozier

    Jun 11, 2008 at 4:29 pm

    I always enjoy an article on Monty. I have certainly warmed to Monty over the years. This was not hard to do since I started all the way to the frigid side. I don’t know what it was that turned me around on Colin, but now I love him. It was right around 2005 when his game was coming back around and maybe his attitude and disposition changed and somehow I noticed subconsciously.

    I am sad to see his world rankings go so low this year. I am worried he will have to rely on Faldo to select him on to the team this year. Unless he improves, that could be hard to justify even with his history in the event.

    I would love to see Monty finish well this weekend. Go Monty!

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Tour Rundown: Bend, but don’t break

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3 weeks ago

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Aug 4, 2025

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I’m going to gush in this intro paragraph, to get the emo stuff done early. I’ve not pulled harder for a professional to win, than Cameron Young. I coach golf in New York state, and each spring, my best golfers head to a state championship in Poughkeepsie. I first saw Cameron there as a 9th grade student. I saw him three more times after that. I reconnecected with Coach Haas from Wake Forest, an old interview subject from my days on the Old Gold and Black, the Wake newspaper. He was there to watch Cameron. After four years at Wake Forest, Young won on the Korn Ferry Tour, made it to the big tour, almost won two majors, almost won five other events, and finally got the chalice about 25 minutes from the Wake campus. Congratulations, Cameron. You truly are a glass of the finest. #MotherSoDear

OK, let’s move on to the Tour Rundown. The major championship season closed this week in Wales, with the Women’s Open championship. The PGA Tour bounced through Greensboror, N.C., while the PGA Tour Americas hit TO (aka, Toronto) for a long-winded event. The Korn Ferry lads made a stop in Utah, one of just two events for that tour in August. The many-events, golf season is winding down, as we ease from summer toward fall in the northern hemisphere. Let’s bask in the glory of an August sunrise, and run down a quartet of events from the first weekend of the eighth month.

LET/LPGA @ Women’s Open: Miyu bends, but she doesn’t break

Royal Porthcawl was not a known commodity in the major tournament community. The Welsh links had served as host to men’s senior opens, men’s amateurs, and Curtis and Walker Cups in prior years, but never an Open championship for the women or the men. The last-kept secret in UK golf was revealed once again to the world this week, as the best female golfers took to the sandy stage.

Mao Saigo, Grace Kim, Maja Stark, and Minjee Lee hoped to add a second major title to previous wins this season, but only Lee was able to finish inside the top ten. The 2025 playing of the Women’s Open gave us a new-faces gallery from day one. The Kordas and Thitikulls were nowhere to be found, and it was the Mayashitas, Katsus, and Lim Kims that secured the Cymru spotlight. The first round lead was held at 67 by two golfers. One of them battled to the end, while the other posted 81 on day two, and missed the cut. Sitting one shot behind was Miyu Yamashita.

On day two, Yamashita posted the round of the tournament. Her 65 moved her to the front of the aisle, in just her fourth turn around a women’s Open championship. With the pre-event favorites drifting off pace, followers narrowed into two camps: those on the side of an underdog, and others hoping for a weekend charge from back in the pack. In the end, we had a bit of both.

On Saturday, Yamashita bent with 74 on Saturday, offering rays of hope to her pursuing pack. England’s Charley Hull made a run on Sunday closing within one shot before tailing off to a T2 finish with Minami Katsu. Katsu posted the other 65 of the week, on Saturday, but could not overtake her countrywoman, Yamashita. wunderkind Lottie Woad needed one round in the 60s to find her pace, but could only must close-to’s, ending on 284 and a tie with Minjee for eighth.

On Sunday, Yamashita put away the thoughts of Saturday’s struggles, with three-under 33 on the outward half. She closed in plus-one 37, but still won by two, for a first Major and LPGA title.

PGA Tour @ Wyndham: Young gathers first title near home

Cameron Young grew up along the Hudson river, above metro New York, but he also calls Winston-Salem home. He spent four years as a student and athlete at Wake Forest University, then embarked on tour. This week in Greensboro, after a bit of a break, Young opened with 63-62, and revved the engine of Is this the week once more. Runner-up finishes at the Open, the PGA, and a handful of PGA Tour events had followers wonder when the day would come.

On Saturday, Young continued his torrid pace with 65, giving him a five-shot advantage over his closest pursuer. Sunday saw the Scarborough native open with bogey, then reel off five consecutive birdies to remind folks that his time had, at last, arrived. Pars to the 16th, before two harmless bogeys coming home, made Young the 1000th winner of an official PGA Tour event (dating back to before there was a PGA Tour) throughout history. What’s next? I have a suspicion, but I’m not letting on. Mac Meissner closed with 66 to finish solo 2nd, while Mark Hubbard and Alex Noren tied for third.

Korn Ferry Tour @ Utah Championship: Are you Suri it’s Julian?

Who knows exactly when the flower will bloom? Julian Suri played a solid careet at Duke University, then paid his dues on the world’s minor tours for three years. He won twice on two tours in Europe, in 2017. Since then, the grind has continued for the journeyman from New York city. At age 34, Suri broke through in Beehive state, outlasting another grinder (Spencer Levin) and four others, by two shots.

Taylor Montgomery began the week with 62, then posted 64, then 68, and finally, 70. That final round was his undoing. He finished in that second-place tie, two back of the leader. Trace Crowe, Barend Botha, and Kensei Hirata made up the last of the almost quintet. As for Suri, his Sunday play was sublime. His nines were 32 and 31, with his only radar blip a bogey at ten. He closed in style with one final birdie, to double his winning margin. Hogan bloomed late…might Suri?

PGA Tour Americas @ Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates

Some tournament names run longer than others. This week in Toronto, at the Heathlands course at TPC Toronto, we might have seen the longest tournament title in recorded history. The OVOPBVCCBMA was a splendid affair. It saw three rounds of 62 on Thursday, but of those early risers, only Drew Goodman would stick around until the end. 64 was the low tally on day two, and two of those legionnaires managed to finish inside the top three at week’s end. Saturday brought a 63 from Patrick Newcomb, and he would follow with 64 on Sunday, to finish solo fourth.

Who, then, ended up winning the acronym of the year? It turns out that Carson Bacha had the right stuff in TeeOhhh. Bacha and Jay Card III posted 63 and 64, respectively, on day four, to tie for medalist honors at 23-under 261. Nathan Franks was one shot adrift, despite also closing with 63. If you didn’t go low on Sunday, it was about the check, not the championship.

Bacha and JC3 returned to the 18th hole twice in overtime. Card nearly chipped in from the thick stuff for birdie, while Bacha peeked and shoved a ten-feet attempt at the win. On the second go-round, Card was long with his approach, into the native grasses once more. He was unable to escape, and a routine par from the fairway was enough to earn the former Auburn golfers a first KFT title.

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Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2025 Wyndham Championship

Published

4 weeks ago

on

Jul 29, 2025

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GolfWRX is live this week from the final event of the PGA Tour’s regular season, the Wyndham Championship.

Photos are flowing into the forums from Sedgefield Country Club, where we already have a GolfWRX spirit animal Adam Schenk WITB and plenty of putters for your viewing pleasure.

Check out links to all our photos below, which we’ll continue to update as more arrive.

General Albums

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

See what GolfWRXers are saying and join the discussion in the forums.

 

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News

BK’s Breakdowns: Kurt Kitayama’s Winning WITB, 3M Open

Published

4 weeks ago

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Jul 28, 2025

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Kurt Kitayama just won his 2nd PGA Tour event at the 3M Open. Kurt is a Bridgestone staffer but with just the ball and bag. Here are the rest of the clubs he used to secure a win at the 2025 3M Open.

Driver: Titleist GT3 (11 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD VF 7 TX

3-wood: Titleist GT1 3Tour (14.5 degrees, A3 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 8 TX

7-wood: Titleist GT1 (21 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD DI 9 TX

Irons: TaylorMade P7CB (4), TaylorMade P7MB (5-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (52-12F, 56-14F), Vokey Design WedgeWorks (60-K*)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400

Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Newport 2 Tour Prototype
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy 1.0PT

Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet

Ball: Bridgestone Tour B XS (with Mindset)

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