Monty's late start costs him dear

An embarrassed Colin Montgomerie was late on the tee for the first time on Thursday and the two-shot penalty he incurred could cost him the chance of retaining his BMW International Open title.

Montgomerie, normally the most punctual of golfers, admitted he had mistaken his afternoon start time by 10 minutes.

The immediate two-stroke penalty meant a double-bogey at the first hole and a ruffled Montgomerie never gave himself the chance of catching morning leader Per-Ulrik Johansson.

While Johansson went round in eight-under-par 64, Montgomerie toiled to a 72 to trail the Swede, and later fellow Briton David Gilford, by eight strokes.

"I thought my tee-off time was 1.30," said Montgomerie, who should have been ready to play at 1.20 pm.

"And when I thought I had arrived on the tee nine minutes 40 seconds early, in fact I was 20 seconds late, simple as that.

"A rule's a rule and you've got to abide by it. It's the first time in my career it's happened and obviously it won't happen again.

"I arrived on the tee early, I thought, so I wasn't late -- but I was."

Colin Montgomerie on the first tee after being told of his two shot penalty. Allsport.

European Tour chief referee Andy McFee said: "Montgomerie was one minute late on the tee. The other two players had not teed off but all three had to be there at the appointed time for their 1.20 pm tee-off.

"The clock was checked and found correct and it was 1.21 when Montgomerie stepped on to the tee and he was made aware he would incur a two-shot penalty.~

It was an extraordinary error by the seven times European number one, who would have been disqualified if he had been five minutes late.

The incident did not help his round because he only finally recovered the two shots by the 16th. Montgomerie went into credit with a birdie at the short 17th but then dropped a shot on the last.

"It was only a 70 anyway, which was a very poor score," added the Scot.

Johansson and Gilford's 64s over the toughened Nord-Eichenreid course, were only two off the record set when it was an easier layout.

It proved the Ryder Cup player has finally fought off illness and injury which have plagued him in the last two years, and Gilford has found the form which has deserted him for two years.

"I've put my couple of bad years through illness behind me and my hip injury earlier in the year is now no problem," said Johansson.

"I want to get into a position on the rankings to play in the world golf championship at Valderrama and a win is the way to do it."

Gilford, like Johansson twice a European Ryder Cup player, whose last win was in 1994, added: "I've done nothing since a second in Portugal two years ago but I've had lessons from a coach in the last eight or nine months.

"I've never had regular coaching but it's obviously working even if the swing feels a bit awkward."

Greg Norman, who will carry the Olympic torch over the Sydney Harbour Bridge on the morning the Games open on September 15, showed he is well on the way to recovery after his hip surgery.

He recovered from an opening bogey with a 67 to be only three off the pace as he went in search of a 15th European Tour win.

"I've been playing very solidly and the hip's no problem at all now,~ he said.

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