Colin
Montgomerie lost his chance of matching a modern day record when his game turned
from sublime to ordinary and he gave away his British Masters title to red-hot
American Bob May on Sunday.
After three days of glorious golf had left him 17 under par and three strokes
clear, the 36-year-old Scot laboured to a one-under-par 71.
May took full advantage to fire a solid 67 and win by one shot -- his first victory
in eight years as a pro during which he has had 22 second-place finishes.
A tricky two-footer at the last sealed his triumph which began to look possible
as early as the second hole where he made a 15-foot birdie as Montgomerie bogeyed.
The 30-year-old Californian,
who shot an albatross two in Friday's second round to win ownership of a horse
for one day, finished on 269, 19 under after rounds of 69-67-66-67.
Montgomerie, who won the title last year at Forest of Arden, finished on 270 and
Christopher Hanell of Sweden third after a 67 for 272.
Montgomerie's defeat left him needing another victory to match the European Tour
record of six wins in a season set by Seve Ballesteros in 1986 and equalled by
Nick Faldo in 1992.
Lee
Westwood missed a chance of tieing a record of four successive wins in Europe,
also shared by Ballesteros and Faldo, when he could finish only joint fourth.
By finishing ahead of Westwood,
Montgomerie boosted his lead in the European Order of Merit to more than 370,000
pounds ($601,200) over the Englishman with five tournaments left.
"This is incredible. I really did not think
this would happen today because I consider Colin one of the best players in the
world," said May.
"I was
just fortunate that Colin didn't play the way he knows how to play. I just went
out and played my own game."
He said the victory took him through to the final of the U.S.Tour School qualifying
and he would try for his playing card later this year to join the U.S. Tour.
"As much as I like playing in Europe and
all the places we visit the drawback for me is that it isn't home," said May who
lives in Las Vegas.
Montgomerie
said he had not putted well all week, even in his second round 64 when he made
nothing over eight feet. "I three-putted three times today. I just didn't putt
well enough.
"I just didn't
play to my potential today and over four days Bob deserved to win.
May, who had predicted he would need to get close to the Duke's Course record
of 63 to have a chance of overhauling the world number three, found it easier
than that as the Scot's game came off the boil early in the round.
While the American birdied the short second, Montgomerie missed the green and
chipped 30 feet past the hole for a bogey.
Both birdied the long fourth but Montgomerie three-putted the fifth for bogey
to drop back into a tie and also dropped shots at the next two holes, the seventh
on another three-putt, to fall three behind May who birdied the sixth.
Even though he stopped the rot at that point, Montgomerie's four bogeys proved
too costly. They shot matching birdies at the ninth and 10th holes, then May dropped
one at the 11th but got it back with a birdie at 14 to restore his three-shot
cushion.
That came after
Montgomerie had three-putted the 565-yard 13th for a costly par after reaching
the green in two. "That was criminal," he said later.
Montgomerie made what could have been a crucial 18-foot birdie putt at the 16th
but May followed him in from 15 feet for a par and the look on the Scot's face
showed that he knew it was over.
Both parred the 17th but when Montgomerie bunkered his second shot at the last
his chance was all but gone, even though he got up and down for birdie
From the same bunker May splashed out to six feet and had the luxury of two putts
for victory.
