Montgomerie turns on the style

Colin Montgomerie took a huge step out of the formidable shadow of a onetime idol, by capturing the £1.3 million Volvo PGA Championship here on the West Course yesterday. With a stunning, final round of 64, he won by five strokes while becoming first player to retain this highly-prized title since Nick Faldo in 1981.

The big Scot also equalled the aggregate record of 270 for the West Course, set by Bernhard Langer in 1987. And a measure of his majestic play was that he kept a bogey off his card for the last 39 holes of the tournament - since the 15th on Saturday.

Which prompted him to comment afterwards: "Sunday and today were probably the best two ball-striking rounds and the best two course-managed rounds of my career." He added: "Obviously it's very pleasing to have had such a comfortable walk home from the 13th." With average drives of 278.5 yards, he missed only four fairways and two greens in his final round, while taking 28 putts. And he averaged 29 putts a round throughout.

Remarkably, the runner-up was Europe's Ryder Cup skipper, Mark James, who made light of the advancing years with a bogey-free round of 66. And typically, he promptly turned his mind to his second favourite pursuit.

Asked whether his rise to seventh position in the Ryder Cup standings would cause him to change his playing schedule, he replied: "No. I have other commitments, vegetables to pick." But was it realistic to think he could now play himself onto his own team?

"It's a bit too early for that, though there could come a point where I would have to sit down with the powers-that-be and discuss the issue," he said. The Yorkshireman then hinted that he might consider relinquishing the captaincy so as to fill a playing role. "I don't mind whether I play or captain," he said.

Leading Irishman was Darren Clarke, who gained some consolation for his misery of Sunday by shooting a final round of 69 for an aggregate of 280 to be tied 13th, ten strokes behind the winner. Generally, it was a tournament in which he and his compatriots disappointed, after early promise.

Though Montgomerie claimed the distinction of shooting the lowest round of the day and the tournament, Lancastrian Paul Eales had reason to be well pleased with a closing 65. It contained an eagle two at the 452-yard third, where he holed a three-iron second shot and ultimately delivered a third-place cheque for £81,379. But all things are relative. Ernie Els could see no cause for contentment in a final round of 68, for a share of fourth place. "It was a mediocre round: I scored better than I played," he said. He then paid a tribute to a player whom he outgunned in two US Opens - at Oakmont in 1994 and Congressional in 1997. "They are the only edge I have over Colin at the moment," he conceded. "He is playing better than he's ever done, which is saying a lot. He's lapping the field and if he can retain that form, he will probably win a major."

A pulsating final day was in prospect when Montgomerie claimed a share of the lead with Retief Goosen after 54 holes. Then came Mark McNulty and Langer in a share of third place.

As it happened, the holder opened up a two-stroke lead on his playing partner after only two holes of the final round: Goosen bogeyed the first and Montgomerie sank a 10-footer for a birdie at the second. From then on, the Scot effectively made his own of the event, with further birdies at the fourth, and at the seventh, where he holed a three-footer to reach the turn in 32.

Any lingering resistance from his rivals was then summarily crushed by his play of the first three holes on the final nine. A 20-footer found the target for a birdie at the 10th; he sank a five-footer for another birdie at the next and went on to reduce the 510-yard 12th to a drive, four-iron and 15-foot putt for an eagle three.

After that, he walked confidently towards glory. And as it to stress his empathy with fate, Montgomerie could hit a thinned, two-iron second shot at the last, then a decidedly poor chip by his standards and still make a closing birdie. With a winner's touch, he eased the ball almost casually into the hole from 20 feet.

"I had no idea about equalling Bernhard's record: that putt was a bonus," he admitted afterwards. Montgomerie went on to talk of the great prize of a major championship that continues to elude him. "If I can continue to play this way in the US Open at Pinehurst I have to be in with a shout," he said. With that, he looked towards a typical tournament celebration, Montgomerie style. "I'll drive home with my family this evening, very satisfied with a good week's work," he said. As well he might.

Irish positions in the Order of Merit are: 13 Padraig Harrington £143,47 ; 18 Paul McGinley £128,865; 44 Darren Clarke £74,231; 76 Eamonn Darcy £44,277; 88 Des Smyth 37,252; 168 Philip Walton £5,639.