Montgomerie recovering from back problems

Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie is receiving treatment for a painful back injury that he sustained during the European Tour event in Germany where he forced world number one Tiger Woods into a playoff.

Montgomerie was beaten at the third play-off hole by Woods and confirmed that he would have pulled out of the tournament if he weren’t in contention.

"If I had been two under par rather than leading I wouldn't have been here," said Montgomerie.

"I was about to pull out.

"I thought at the start of the day that 80 was reasonable and maybe 75, but 69 (his last round total) is very, very good.

"In the play-off my back was getting far too sore and that's why I was hooking it. But at the end of the day the best man won."

Montgomerie is trying to regain full fitness in time for Thursday’s PGA Championship at Wentworth, an event he has won three times.

"Colin's taken it very easy today and we will know more in the morning," said his manager Guy Kinnings.

"He's been told that although it might be painful he's not doing any more damage to his back by playing.

"It's the same man he saw last June when he had to pull out of the English Open at the Forest of Arden.

"There was no talk of surgery being needed then and he was given a series of exercises, which he has been doing."

Woods paid tribute to Montgomerie's efforts in Germany.

"Monty was obviously not exactly feeling his best, but he is a true champion and fought the entire round," said Woods before heading to Muirfield Village in Ohio - where he goes for a fourth successive Memorial Tournament win this weekend.

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