Montgomerie Tops Leaderboard
Recent US Open contender Colin Montgomerie is in the lead at the halfway stage of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleaneagles despite yet again having troubles at the last.
On his 43rd birthday, the Scot is 10 under par and two shots in front after hitting a second-round five-under 68 - although he missed a three-foot birdie putt at the last.
This one was his third time in a row that he has blown the last hole - on Sunday he lost the US Open by hitting a double bogey on the last and in the first round at Gleneagles on Thursday he bogeyed the last to miss out on a share of second place overnight.
This time, he reached the final green in two, but three-putted from 20 feet at the end of a round that contained six birdies and one bogey.
“I just don’t know what’s going on here,” he said. “That’s my third round in a row and that’s not good at all.”
“If I can’t two-putt from 20 feet there’s something wrong. There was nothing difficult about it at all.”
“I’ve got to get it right for 18 holes. It tarnished the US Open, it tarnished yesterday and it’s tarnished today.”
But Montgomerie was still able to see the humour in a more lighthearted moment during his round.
His caddy had barked out the usual command for the crowd to be quiet as Montgomerie stood over a chip, only for a voice in the crowd to shout back: “You be quiet.”
“It’s the first time I’ve been answered back,” said Montgomerie. “What could you say? The lad was two years old.”
Paul Casey is on eight under, with a Australia’s Marcus Fraser, Dane Soren Hansen, Swede Robert Karlsson and Andrew Marshall a further shot behind.
