COLIN MONTGOMERIE rewrote the record books in Switzerland yesterday when he shot a final round 63 to beat Sam Torrance and win the Canon European Masters bat Crans sur Sierre. The European number one who had produced a career best 61 in Saturday's third round, breezed to a 24 under par total of 260, a new tournament record, leaving Torrance four shots behind, with Paul Curry third on 267.
Montgomerie's third victory of the season - he has also won the Desert Classic in Dubai, and the Murphy's Irish Open - sent him back to the head of the Volvo Ranking which he has won for the last three years, and the winning cheque of almost £128,000 took his earnings for the year to over £570,000. His final 36 holes of 124 was a new European record, and had the valiant Torrance exclaiming: "I have nothing but admiration for him. He is a fabulous golfer."
Montgomerie fully justified that accolade with a withering broadside of five successive birdies from the 13th to subdue the brave resistance of the man who had fought him to the last putt of the last event in 1995 in the battle for European supremacy.
Torrance had holed from 25 feet to birdie the 12th, and 30 feet to eagle the 14th and be only one behind. Then he had matched Montgomerie's birdie four at the 15th and hit a superb four iron to the short 16th for a 10 foot birdie chance, that threatened to put him level. But Montgomerie got in first from 15 feet, Torrance missed, and then saw the title put beyond his reach with another 15 foot birdie by Montgomerie at the 17th.
"He deserves to be number one for a fourth time after that," added Torrance, whose blunder at the driveable par four seventh had given Montgomerie his winning chance. Torrance pulled his tee shot wide of the green and dumped his pitch into a greenside bunker from where he took three more to get down. Montgomerie, who had been one behind on the tee drove the green and holed from 20 feet for an eagle two to grab a lead he never lost.
Montgomerie said: "All credit to Sam. He fought bravely and it was a great battle. That eagle of his at the 14th was very impressive and shocked me. But the seventh turned the whole day round and I am delighted with my third win and to be back on top of the money list again."
Darren Clarke was Ireland's best with a third 68 for a 10 under par 274 and a share of seventh place. He won £19,813 and the corresponding number of Ryder Cup points, but he was only too well aware that he should have done better. A scrappy finish in which he threeputted the 16th and missed a birdie chance of four feet at the last, cost him the chance of finishing ahead of Seve Ballesteros (66), Peter Mitchell (64) and Gary Orr (69) who all shared fourth spot at 11 under.
How Clarke must have envied Padraig Harrington's closing burst of three birdies in the last five holes which brought the Dubliner a 66 for 277 and a share of 18th place. Harrington had begun from the 10th after play had been delayed by two hours because of overnight frost, and the field re drawn into three balls.
Superb wedge play was rewarded by birdie threes at the fifth and seventh, and a four at the long ninth where he needed to hole from only a foot. Harrington won £9,280 and commented: "I am much happier now with my all round game, and I also putted well. I am looking forward to the Lancome Trophy in Paris this week.
David Higgins comfortably secured his Tour card for 1997 by finishing joint 23rd and winning £7610 to take his prize money beyond the crucial £50,000 mark. But he was unhappy about the quality of his golf as he closed with a 73 after middle rounds of 67 and 66.
