Scotland's Colin Montgomerie, a target of crowd abuse during the Ryder Cup, says he has nothing to prove by playing more in the United States.
Montgomerie, preparing for the Australian Open, addressed the subject following English star Nick Faldo claim that the Scot is hiding under the ``security blanket'' of the PGA European Tour.
``I'm very comfortable in Europe -- he's correct there,'' Montgomerie said today. ``And why not play where you're comfortable? There's nothing wrong with that.
``I understand his comments, but I understand what I try to do as well. I've got a young family and we're based very much in Europe. I don't feel I have to go to America to prove anything.''
Who can blame him for being more comfortable at home, where he just completed a record seventh year as Europe's top money winner?
Montgomerie hasn't won on the PGA Tour in 62 attempts, but says he doesn't care. And he no longer ``obsesses'' about his failure to win a major, as he admits he once did.
``This year was my most consistent in majors and maybe next year I can turn that consistency into a win,'' Montgomerie said. ``My career is a little bit incomplete without a major, but I've got to the stage now that it doesn't really obsess me like it used to.''
Faldo also is in the Australian Open field, but Montgomerie wasn't going to turn the Englishman's comments into an ongoing spat. In fact, Montgomerie was full of encouragement for Faldo, who is battling to stay competitive.
``If there's anybody who can improve in his 40s, Faldo's it,'' Montgomerie said. ``He's very, very determined to get back to a position -- not so much where he was,but even to improve on that.
``No one works at the game any harder than Nick. If anybody can, he's the man who can come back from where he is right now.''
