Montgomerie hits rock bottom

Golf:Colin Montgomerie now has another memory of Celtic Manor to add to last year's Ryder Cup - his worst 36-hole score on European soil for more than 20 years. Sweden's Alex Noren took over the lead in the Saab Wales Open with another 67 and defending champion Graeme McDowell is one behind, but Europe's triumphant captain in October slumped out on 15-over-par.

A 73 meant Shane Lowry just missed the cut, two shots ahead of Colm Moriarty, whose 75 left him five over. Damien McGrane dropped back to two under with a 73, while Darren Clarke is level par thanks to a 74 and Michael Hoey is alongside him after a 71.

Montgomerie, however, followed up his opening 78 with a 79 and had no doubt what the biggest problem was - his age.

“I’m not 25 any more,” said the Scot, who in less than three weeks turns 48. “I think it does show sometimes. It’s good being busy, but it takes its toll

trying to compete against guys less than half my age only doing this.

“Playing well last week (his seventh place at Wentworth was his first top 10 for almost three years) I thought I could perform well again. But I just played awful. I’m very disappointed not to be playing at the weekend, never mind contending. I’m one of the last names on the board.”

The last time Montgomerie had two higher opening scores in Europe was the 1991 Benson and Hedges International at St Mellion. He shot 80-81 there.

However, that was such a tough week that his 161 aggregate was still good enough for 110th place out of 143 — and 12 strokes better than Swede Mikael Hogberg’s 83-90.

When he departed this time the eight-time European number one was joint last and not in the top 150, although that did improve slightly late in the day.

Montgomerie failed to make it through a 36-hole US Open qualifying event on Monday and faces the same thing at Sunningdale this coming Monday to try to earn a place in next month’s Open.

“It’s become very important. I’ve not had a year where I’ve not competed in a major before (not since 1989 at least) — I’ve played in The Open 21 years in a row and I want to keep that record going.”

If he is not part of the Sandwich action next month, of course, it could be that the man with five runners-up finishes — three US Opens, one Open and one US PGA — will never play another major.

Noren, on the other hand, is looking forward to his US Open debut, indeed his first major in America, in two weeks after making it through with a stroke to spare at Walton Heath.

The 28-year-old from Stockholm won the European Masters two years ago, but dropped from 25th to 85th on the money list last season and from a high of 50th in the world he now stands 127th.

“I’ve always dreamed of playing a US Open and I’m so happy — so happy,” said Noren. “It’s such an energy boost.”

He birdied four of the last five holes to take over at the top from South African Keith Horne, who after starting with a 64 failed to conjure up a single birdie in his 73.

McDowell also had four birdies in five holes, in his case from the eighth, and just as important was his recovery from under the lip of a bunker to two feet at the short 10th.

“One of the boys said Seve would have been proud of that one,” he said. “I’m on a course I enjoy and in a position I enjoy. This is absolutely perfect for the US Open (he defends there as well in a fortnight). I said I just wanted to get in the mix and get the juices flowing and it’s kind of mission accomplished.”

Welshman Jamie Donaldson is in joint third with France’s Victor Dubuisson, but Phillip Price — another of the home contingent — had a real setback when he was going well.

On-course television commentator Howard Clark thought Price, one under at the time, had driven from in front of the tee at the 15th.

When it was checked on video a two-shot penalty was imposed and he had to go back to the tee to play it again. He birdied it second time, but it meant a bogey on the card and he finished level par.

In the same group Ryder Cupper Ross Fisher crashed to an outward 44 and with a 79 for seven over he is certain to remain outside the world’s top 50 and looks like missing the US Open.