Montgomerie back to full fitness

When the going gets tough, Colin Montgomerie gets going. The Scot summoned up the ghosts of past US Open performances yesterday after taking his first look at Bethpage’s Black Course - a championship venue Tiger Woods places in the same category of difficulty as Carnoustie.

Taking heart from his exhilarating performances over challenging venues at both the 1994 and 1997 US Opens, the Scot made it clear that the more daunting the test, the better he likes it.

"I managed to shoot 65 at Congressional in the first round and I also carded 65 at Oakmont in the second and those were courses where you couldn’t see yourself breaking 75," he recalled. "So I don’t mind it being quite tough here and would imagine some of the scores will be high. You can easily set off on a bogey trail."

Fresh from a family holiday at Loch Lomond, Monty reckons he’s fit enough to win in New York but won’t be reckless. "I feel quite good but won’t risk another practice round," he explained. "I’m not really fit enough to manage two. It’s a difficult walk and my back’s still not that great, though I wouldn’t have made the trip here if I didn’t think I could win.

"But I don’t view being unable to play a second practice round as a big setback. After all, you’re only trying to learn on these occasions where not to go."

There’s a "Be Nice to Monty" campaign in full swing, with the support of America’s leading golf magazine. No doubt the Scot hopes the goodwill beyond the ropes extends to a few favourable breaks on the course in the major which he has come closer to winning than any other.

Not that it would be wise to assume all 42,000 of the locals swarming to Bethpage each day will adopt Monty as a favourite son. The New York sports crowd is one of the most volatile in the United States, and sympathy is rarely dispensed in large measure.

As one local reporter acidly recalled, it was in New York that a chant about Halle Berry was first hurled at the Atlanta baseball player Dave Justice after the Oscar-winning actress had just ended the couple’s relationship.

If Monty finds himself in contention this weekend, then it’s possible the campaign might have the opposite effect to the one intended. The move by Golf Digest was undoubtedly fuelled by good intentions but one can’t help feeling that the Scot would have benefited from a more low-key entry to the championship.

For the record, of course, Montgomerie is supportive of the attempt to schmooze the American public. "The badges are terrific and the crowd today were very friendly," he reported. "But the big test will come if I start off with a 65 or something like that." Indeed, when he left the course and declined to sign autographs because he needed physiotherapy on his back, Monty was treated to a typical shaft of New York wit.

"You can come back and sign on Friday," snapped one spectator, "after you’ve missed the cut."

What Monty may need most of all this week, of course, is his old grasp of line and length off the tee. In common with all US Open venues, the Black Course has been more or less hand-picked to punish wayward drivers. "I’m hitting fairways and that’s key here," he added. "You can’t play if you don’t."

Asked if he likes his chances here, Monty demurred: "Maybe if Tiger withdraws. That’s a good maybe isn’t it? Short of that, we’ll have to do battle."

Although he didn’t mention the Scot by name, there’s no doubt that Woods has a lot of sympathy for Monty’s predicament in events such as this where the galleries are less knowledgeable than those who attend the Masters and the Open, and the combination of heat and alcohol can be unsavoury.

"I just hope that all of the fans who do come out are respectful to all of the players," observed the world No1. "But it’s going to be interesting late on Saturday and Sunday especially when the heat and the humidity and the beverages of their choice have taken effect . . ."