Evans points finger at Montgomerie

For Colin Montgomerie, some 10 weeks after the fact, his infamous breach of the rules at the Indonesian Open simply won't go away.

Yesterday the Scot did what he does best and that is play golf; but, after shooting a final round 66 (for five-under par 283) in the PGA Championship, a score which might or might not edge him into the world's top 50 and secure him an automatic place in next month's US Open, Monty faced the music again.

Just over a fortnight ago, the European Tour's tournament committee - comprising 14 players, of which ironically Montgomerie is one - issued a statement on the eve of the British Masters expressing their "dissatisfaction" with Montgomerie's misdemeanour in Jakarta but, effectively, saying that was the end of the matter.

Unfortunately for Montgomerie, who subsequently donated his winnings from the Indonesian Open to the tsunami relief fund after television pictures showed he had replaced his ball in an incorrect position after an overnight weather delay, the whole can of worms was opened again on Saturday when another tour player, Gary Evans, launched a new attack, claiming "98 per cent" of players were unhappy with the decision to let Montgomerie off.

"The players feel that the tournament director may have made a mistake," said Evans. "Monty followed the strict letter of the rules in that he consulted his playing partners at the time, but when it became clear that the ball had been misplaced, he should have been penalised two shots or even disqualified. That's a big call to make, but the tournament director should have been strong enough to make it."

Evans then went on to point an accusatory finger more directly at the seven-time European number one. "There has been smoke around Monty before. Look what happened at Valderrama a couple of years ago (in the 2002 Volvo Masters, when he was questioned on whether his ball had moved on the green before he hit it). He got the benefit of the doubt there. And, of course, only he knows what he was really thinking in Indonesia too."

Evans may have been shooting from the hip with his comments, but George O'Grady, the tour's executive director, was not amused. "I would expect that player (Evans), if the remarks are true, to apologise to Jamie Spence and to the 14 other elected members of that committee for publicly undermining their leadership of the tour . . . when there is a dissenting voice, he undermines his colleagues . . . I think that is disrespectful."

Montgomerie was told of Evans's comments on Saturday night, yet managed to concentrate on his game sufficiently to finish with a 66, "a really good effort in the circumstances, I feel", he remarked. Yet, afterwards, he looked shell-shocked that the controversy was still alive.

"I'm very hurt," he added. "I agree entirely with everything George has said, everything he said about our tournament committee of which I am a part of."

Would he be seeking out Gary Evans for a chat? "No, no I won't," said Montgomerie, who will find out today when the world rankings are released if he has made it into the world's top 50. If he hasn't, he will attempt to qualify for the US Open at Pinehurst via next week's international qualifying at Walton Heath.