Monty produces top form to retain title

Colin Montgomerie produced what he agreed was one of the finest displays of his record-breaking career on Monday.

The 35-year-old Scot became only the second player to make a successful defence of the Volvo PGA championship at Wentworth - and did it in record-equalling fashion.

A sparkling closing 64, one outside the course record and the best round of the week, enabled Montgomerie to win the £216,678 first prize with an 18 under par total of 270 which matched the tournament record set by Bernhard Langer 12 years ago.

Twelve months ago Montgomerie had to birdie the final two holes to win.

This time he strolled to a five-stroke triumph over Ryder Cup captain Mark James, who now might well have to decide whether he wants to play in Boston in September rather than lead the side.

A jubilant Montgomerie, back at the top of the European Order of Merit he has won for the past six seasons, said 19 days ago that he wanted to win two of his next three events.

He then went out and took the Benson and Hedges International by three. But good though that was, this performance topped it.

"For ball-striking and course management the last couple of rounds were the best I have played," said Montgomerie, who stood only three under par prior to finishing his second round with an eagle on Saturday evening.

"To play 37 holes in 15 under is good round here - it's good anywhere for that matter," he added.

"I feel very proud of what I have just achieved and what I have achieved over the last seven years. Long may it continue!"

As long as his form continues for three more weeks he will be a very happy man.

For if he repeats the last four days at Pinehurst in North Carolina on June 17-20 he will surely put all his near misses behind him and finally land his first major title.

Montgomerie moves up from eighth to fifth in the world rankings and South African star Ernie Els, who just held on to fourth spot on the rankings by finishing joint fourth in the tournament, did not hold back in his words of admiration.

"He is just great at the moment - probably playing the best he has ever done, which is saying a lot," commented Els. "He is just lapping the field.

"The US Open is the only edge I have over him at the moment (Els pushed Montgomerie into second place in 1994 and 1997). But the way he is playing now he will probably win a major.

"He just has to play like he is."

Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal, joint 10th nine behind Montgomerie, added: "If Monty does not allow the crowds to get to him he will be fine. He is playing awesome."

Montgomerie started the final day joint leader with South African Retief Goosen and before they had teed off James and Lancashire's Paul Eales made it a four-way tie.

But Montgomerie was determined to make it his day. He went into the lead on his own with a 10-foot putt on the second and never let it go.

Further birdies on the fourth and seventh took him three clear and after James had cut that to one Montgomerie simply went into overdrive to kill off the threat.

He started the final holes birdie-birdie-eagle, holing from 20 feet, six feet and then 10 feet for his fifth eagle of the week. And from five clear he was never going to lose.

The tournament record was the only issue and, though he was aware of that fact, he equalled it by closing with a 25-foot birdie putt.

By two-putting the last for a birdie of his own James edged out Eales for the runners-up spot and won £144,500 - by nearly £60,000 the biggest cheque of his 23-year career.

It moves the 45-year-old from Ilkley up from 26th to seventh in the race for places in his own team.

James has said he will not be a playing-captain, but he has not yet ruled out given up the captaincy to play if he finishes the qualifying in August in one of the top 10 automatic positions.

"It's still a bit early, but if it (his form) goes on I would have to sit down with the powers-that-be and think about what happens," he stated. ""It's best not to rule anything out."

Eales won the 1994 Extramadura Open in Spain, but third place at Wentworth was worth almost twice as much to him - £81,378.

Els shared fourth spot with Goosen and Australian Stephen Leaney, while 19-year-old Spaniard Sergio Garcia showed again what an exciting talent he is by shooting a 66 to finish joint 19th. He had made the cut only by eagling the 18th on Saturday.

Ian Woosnam and Sandy Lyle were joint 26th, but Lee Westwood, still feeling his way back after injury it seems, was only 56th and Faldo, the one other player to make a successful defence of the title (in 1980-81) was down in 59th place.