Montgomerie plays up a storm

Destiny has a way of choosing its favoured sons; and, so, it was no surprise that Colin Montgomerie - one of the most prolific winners in the history of the European Tour, but who had fallen on lean times in terms of collecting titles in recent seasons - was yesterday returned to the fold in the rather fitting surroundings of The K Club, where his one stroke victory over Niclas Fasth in the Smurfit Kappa European Open gave the Scot his 31st tour win and fourth achieved on Irish soil.

On a day when he spent almost as much time in the claustrophobic confines of the locker room as on the course, due to thunderstorms that forced two separate weather interruptions, Montgomerie savoured his first win of the season after producing a final round 65 for an 11-under-par total of 269, which ended a drought of 19 months since his last tournament win.

To be sure, the weather gods have not looked down with much favour on professional tournaments staged in Ireland in recent years. This was yet another one marred by the weather, and the stop-start nature of the final round took its toll on many pretenders to the crown, but non more so than Fasth whose rhythm was terminally broken by the disruptions.

The Swede had completed 11 holes and was alone at the top of the leaderboard on 11-under when the first weather stoppage occurred. He returned from the 45 minutes initial break in play only to go bogey-bogey - the first dropped shots of his round - to immediately give the initiative away. Despite recovering one of those lost shots with a birdie on the 15th, where he hit sandwedge to four feet, Fasth failed to find a birdie at either the 16th or 17th.

And, then, with Montgomerie long in the clubhouse having posted his score, the second stoppage in play, lasting almost 75 minutes, came as Fasth made his way to the 18th tee at which stage he required a birdie to force a play-off with Monty.

When Fasth eventually returned to the last chance saloon, he hit a fine tee shot on the finishing hole (again reduced to a par three from par five due to the saturated state of the fairway) which finished 15 feet from the hole. Needing to sink the putt to match Montgomerie's total, Fasth's putt was perfect for distance only to veer away at the last moment.

Fasth, a winner of the BMW International on his last outing, had to be content with a runner-up finish.

"It was a brave effort. I gave it a good strong go," said Fasth. "I felt a little unlucky as I was going strongly when we had the first break, came back out and made those two bogeys. It was a long way back after that. It was a case of nearly, but not quite . . .

"Considering how I was feeling (with flu), it was not bad. I nearly got it done."

Montgomerie had been lying second, alongside Soren Hansen, on 10-under after 14 holes when the first weather enforced break took place and he returned to complete the remaining four holes of his round in one-under, despite suffering a couple of late scares on the two finishing holes where both tee shots toyed with finding watery graves. The birdie had arrived on the 15th, where he sank a 15-footer.

Using six-iron off the 16th tee, Montgomerie flirted with danger, his tee-shot finishing on the upslope of the bank in front of the green. But he chipped majestically to within two feet to save par. On the 18th, he again used a six-iron and, this time, he held his breath on the tee as the shot moved tantalisingly to the right. Fortunately for him, the ball didn't finish in the water that surrounds the green, instead ending up inside the hazard line but dry.

Still, Montgomerie had much work to do to save par.

The ball was on a downslope with the grass against him and, unable to ground his club which would have led to a penalty, he used his 64-degree lob wedge to execute a quite superb pitch for the second hole in a row. The ball finished 18 inches from the hole, and he coolly rolled in the par putt that gave him a final round 65.

Crucially, he also made it to the safety of the clubhouse before the second weather front rolled in.

"I'm thrilled with this success, it gives me increased confidence for the Scottish Open and the (British) Open. This wasn't just an important win, it was a very, very important win for me after such a dry spell," said Montgomerie, who reverted to using a belly putter at the K Club having suffered problems with his putting in contending in the French Open a week ago. The move worked a dream.

On a day when 54-holes leader Hansen fell off the pace on the back nine, eventually finishing in tied-seventh position, Montgomerie's final round 65 was the joint best score of the day. Anthony Wall charged through the field with a 65 to finish in tied-third place alongside Gregory Havret, Peter Hanson and Pelle Edberg.

Edberg, the midway leader, recovered from his poor third round to finish with a closing 66 that not only gave him the biggest payday of his career - €169,170 - but also secured him a place in the British Open at Carnoustie next week as the leading finisher in the European Open not already exempt.