Montgomerie has surgery - on his clubs

European number one Colin Montgomerie has resorted to major surgery on his clubs in the hope of ending a sorry run of five missed cuts in the last seven British Opens.

The 36-year-old Scot, answering a call to play in the Loch Lomond Invitational this week, delayed his only practice round on Tuesday to supervise a change to stiffer shafts following a disappointing display in the Irish Open at the weekend.

He finished joint seventh there but two level-par closing rounds of 71 left him nine shots adrift of runaway Spanish winner Sergio Garcia.

Radical measures were called for and hence the change in the shafts and grips on his clubs.

"I hadn't been happy with them lately and I had to get the grips on properly. I had to check every grip individually then I had to get on the course to try them...," he said.

"They are working very well. The clubs I have now are super and I've got it back again."

Montgomerie, European number one for the past six years and leading again this year, said poor driving and poor putting led to his disappointing finish in Ireland where he won in 1996 and 1997 and finished second in a playoff last year.

"I didn't hit enough fairways in the last two rounds and also I had 70 putts over the weekend.

"It was unfortunate that all happened at the one time. But it's nice to know that not driving the ball and having trouble with my irons and taking 70 putts I was still scoring level par.

Montgomerie had not intended to play in the event but said he felt obliged to play golf in his home country.

"I don't have the opportunity often. Outside the British Open we have just one tournament a year in Scotland and it's right that I play here."

Montgomerie has never won an individual event in Scotland, though he was part of the victorious Scottish Dunhill Cup team in 1995.

He has set no target this week except to be in contention before Saturday's final round.

Montgomerie joined the chorus of praise for 19-year-old Garcia after his Irish Open victory.

"He's got a super future. He's very courageous and dosn't tend to suffer through nerves or lack of confidence," Montgomerie said.

"He is full of self belief which is everything in this game." "Every so often a very, very good player comes along and we're lucky that he's European on this occasion.

Montgomerie said he felt certain Garcia would qualify for the European Ryder Cup team to face the Americans in September.

Reuters