Monty sets up last round duel with Goosen

Colin Montgomerie, winner of the European Order of Merit for the last six years, will go head-to-head at Wentworth tomorrow with the man who has emerged as the greatest threat to him making that a magnificent seven.

Two brilliant eagles in his last seven holes today brought Montgomerie alongside South African Retief Goosen, current leader of this season's money list, on the 10-under-par mark of 206 with a round to go in the Volvo PGA championship.

Up for grabs is a mammoth first prize of £216,678 - but to defending champion Montgomerie that means nothing. In fact, he does not even know what the cheque is.

"I don't play this game for money any more," said the multi-millionaire Scot. "I love winning. I love the challenge of it."

Montgomerie was six adrift of Goosen as he struck his four-iron second to the 510-yard 12th. It pulled up 12 feet from the flag and in went the putt.

Then, after missing a four-foot birdie putt on the long 17th, the world number eight struck the same club to virtually the same distance from the final hole and, for the second day running, came off with a three. It gave him a 67.

"Three eagles in 19 holes is amazing," he stated. "The one at the end of the third round (after a two-hour storm delay) got the tournament going for me.

"I was languishing, treading water really, at that stage and I knew it had to go in for me to have a chance of contending."

It was Darren Clarke he was trailing then, but the Ulsterman collapsed to an untidy 77 today and went from one ahead to five behind.

Ernie Els, second overnight, might have been the one expected to capitalise, but he shot only a 74 to slip seven behind and it was his fellow countryman Goosen who took over at the top.

Four birdies in 12 holes took the 30-year-old four clear of the entire star-studded field, but as Montgomerie charged so he stumbled, taking bogeys on the 15th and 16th and failing to birdie the two closing par fives. It meant a 70.

Goosen, who broke his arm snowboarding during the winter, is still hoping to complete a spectacular month's golf with a second victory, however.

So far in May he has finished sixth in the Italian Open, triumphed in the French Open and only last Monday finished second to Tiger Woods in the Deutsche Bank Open in Germany. The title tomorrow would take his earnings for May to just short of £500,000.

But Montgomerie, enjoying the month as well after capturing the Benson and Hedges International two weeks ago, says: "I am very confident and if I play the way I have been doing I have every opportunity.

"And if I eagle the 18th then it will be my favourite hole!"

Clarke's problems began when he went from rough to sand to trees for a double bogey six on the 356-yard sixth, regarded as one of the easiest holes on the course.

After dropping another shot on the eighth he also double-bogeyed the 10th and 16th.

Els, meanwhile, had no fewer than six bogeys and the bug he and Clarke had appeared to acquire affected Sam Torrance as well.

After climbing into a share of second place, Torrance, making only his second halfway cut of the season this weekend and desperate to ignite his challenge for a Ryder Cup recall, bogeyed the 14th and 15th and then triple-bogeyed the 16th after hooking his drive.

Ryder Cup captain Mark James, seeking a win which could take him fourth in the race for places in his own team, three-putted the first for a double bogey six in a 72 which leaves him four behind.

The round contained a triple bogey seven on the 441-yard 13th, where he was in trouble off the tee and then hit his second into a ditch.

Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam and 19-year-old Spaniard Sergio Garcia, who had all survived the cut with nothing to spare on one over, remain deep in the pack.

Faldo double-bogeyed the 380-yard 16th in a 74 which sent him down to three over, while Woosnam and Garcia, in only his fourth professional event, returned rounds of 70 to improve to one under.

It means the end of Woosnam's hopes of a US Open place - he had to win for that - and Faldo's chances of an automatic Ryder Cup place have taken a further jolt.

Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal does not have to worry about that, but at six under after a 72 it will need something really special for him to repeat his Augusta-Wentworth double of five years ago.

Sporting Life