Montgomerie still searching for elusive Major

Colin Montgomerie, having tried just about every way there is to win one of golf's four major titles, is trying yet another in Chicago this week.

A nine-stroke winner in Sweden on Sunday - his fourth European tour victory of the season - Montgomerie was just about the last player to arrive for the United States PGA championship starting at Medinah tomorrow.

The 36-year-old Scot has never seen the course before, but he contented himself with just one practice round prior to teeing off in the first round with 1997 Open champion Justin Leonard and South African Ernie Els, the man who has twice denied him the US Open.

Nobody in the field may know less about the test that lies ahead, but nobody is more confident either.

"I've never had only one practice round for a major before - but I've never won one before, so we will see what happens," said Europe's undisputed number one.

"What I do know is that the course suits me, although because I'm playing well right now I think any course does.

"Everything seems to be clicking into place - I feel I'm hitting the ball better than I ever have and my course management is better.

"And I'm also more relaxed because whatever happens here I feel I've improved this year.

"I've never won four times in a season before and that's positive.

"Hell, if I win a major in my career it happens. But if I don't I won't lose any sleep - I will still look back on a successful career."

Montgomerie would nevertheless dearly love to end a quest which has already gone on all this decade.

Second to Els in 1994 and 1997, he also lost a play-off to Australian Steve Elkington at the 1995 US PGA in Los Angeles.

He went into the Open last month on the back of a win as well, but from a promising start managed only 15th spot.

Following fellow Scot Paul Lawrie's shock victory at Carnoustie and Jose Maria Olazabal's second Masters triumph in April, Europe's golfers now have the chance to own three of the four most cherished trophies in the game.

That has never happened before, but Montgomerie, one of 23 Europeans in the 150-strong field, gains encouragement not only from his majestic form in Europe and his near-misses in the past.

"When Davis Love won this two years ago he was over-due a major. So was Vijay Singh last year."

Both had claims to the title "best current player not to win a major" until they triumphed and now Montgomerie's rivals for that unwanted tag are world number one David Duval and left-hander Phil Mickelson.

"I suppose Duval is number one and I'm number two - but it's better than being four or five!"

After what happened in the last Major - it should have been won by Jean Van de Velde, ranked 152nd in the world, and instead was won by the player ranked 159th - trying to predict who is going to win has become like trying to predict the winning numbers in the lottery.

But on form alone Europe's hopes do not just rest on Montgomerie's shoulders.

Lee Westwood has won his last two tournaments and could already be benefiting from the fact that he has more interests than simply golf now.

The 26-year-old from Worksop, at sixth in the world rankings immediately behind Montgomerie, recently bought a 55-acre stud farm and two black labradors.

"When he gets home now he can switch off," said manager Andrew Chandler. "It used to be golf, golf, golf, but when he won in Holland and Dublin he arrived only the day before."

That European Open looked like being Darren Clarke's week, but after a sensational second round 60 - he is the only man to have had two of those in Europe - the Ulsterman tossed away a six-stroke lead.

"That's in the past now," said Clarke today. "If I play as I can there's no reason why I should not win any tournament I play in now."

Also itching to hit back from disappointment - in their cases at the Open - are 19-year-old Sergio Garcia (he shot 89-83 and finished last) and Van de Velde, whose triple bogey seven on the final hole when three clear will live with him for ever.

Lawrie, of course, hopes to continue exactly where he left off, while Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam are hoping to rescue their Ryder Cup places.

Faldo is a lowly 54th in the points race - it ends this week for the Americans, next week for Europe - and 193rd in the world, but said: "I know with all the work I've done that give me another month and I'll be playing really well.

"I still feel I've got it - that I've got enough to help the team."

Woosnam, 35th in the points and 92nd in the world, commented: "A couple of good performances here and in Munich next week will maybe give Mark (captain Mark James) the opportunity to feel he can pick me."

James himself plays this week and at 13th in the cup standings, the possibility of him qualifying and then deciding whether to hand over the captaincy to play still exists.

The other Britons taking part are Scot Andrew Coltart, in the hot seat of 10th in the table, and former Walker Cup amateur Stephen Keppler, a club professional in Georgia, appearing in the tournament for the third time.

American fans, of course, are hoping there will be a real Tiger Woods and Duval showdown after their made-for-TV head-to-head a week ago.

But if Montgomerie gets in the way of that there has to be the danger of the Chicago crowd getting rowdy - and that is when his laid-back approach to the week might be severely tested.