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Victory drought ends for Montgomerie

Colin Montgomerie closed with a five-under 66 Sunday to capture his third title at the Irish Open. The victory was the first in more than a year for the 38-year-old Scot, who won for the 25th time on the European Tour.

Montgomerie posted a tournament-record total of 18-under-par 266 to finish a comfortable five shots clear of Niclas Fasth, Darren Clarke and Padraig Harrington.

"Having gone for the longest time since 1991 without a win, this was possibly the most important victory of any," said Montgomerie, who opened Thursday with a course-record 63 and went wire-to-wire for the first time in his career. "When you haven’t won for 13 months you wonder if it is going to happen again and you put pressure on yourself."

The seven-time Order of Merit winner last entered the winner's circle when he reeled in his third straight Volvo PGA Championship title in May 2000.

Montgomerie, the champion at Druids Glen in 1996 and '97, joined Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and Bernhard Langer as three-time winners of the Irish Open. He jumped from 13th to sixth on the European Ryder Cup points standings, and from 41st to 12th on the Order of Merit.

Sweden's Fasth, the victor at last year's Madeira Island Open, equaled Monty's 18-hole record at Fota Island with an eight-birdie, no-bogey 63 on Sunday. Northern Ireland's Clarke, who sank a 10-foot birdie putt to make the cut Friday, matched 64s with Dublin native Harrington. The pair tied for second place with Fasth at 13-under 271.

No Irish player has captured this event since John O'Leary in 1982.

Dubai Desert Classic winner Thomas Bjorn shot 66 for solo fifth at minus-11.

Montgomerie started the final round with a three-shot lead over 20-year-old Australian Adam Scott, who would eagle the par-five fifth on Sunday to pull within two of the lead.

But Scott carded four bogeys against just one birdie the rest of the way for an even-par 71 and a share of sixth place at 10-under 274 with Swede Robert Karlsson and England's Gary Emerson.

Although Montgomerie double-bogeyed the eighth after his approach found water, he recovered with birdies at the ninth and 10th. He dropped another shot with a bogey at 12 but again was able to regain control with a follow-up birdie.

"Had a good four-iron into 13 and holed the putt and then I was okay," said Montgomerie. "I was three ahead and I could handle that from then on in."

He added insurance birdies at 16 and 18 for a total of 24 on the week.

Fellow Scot Andrew Coltart, the winner of last week's Great North Open, was among six players to round out the top-10 at minus-nine.

2000 Irish Open champ Patrik Sjoland followed rounds of 73-68-70 with a final- round 80 to finish second to last in the field at plus-seven

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