GOLF:Seven months on and Colin Montgomerie still cannot get the US Open out of his head. The Masters at Augusta in April will be Montgomerie's 63rd attempt to land a major crown, but if the final hole at Winged Foot last June had not been made a mess of he would no longer be answering questions about his "nearly man" tag.
A par four would have given him the title he craves so much. A bogey would have put him into a play-off with Geoff Ogilvy but a double-bogey six meant he merely created history with a fifth runners-up finish in majors.
After a long wait to deal with playing partner Vijay Singh's drive hooked into the hospitality tents, Montgomerie, his mind going "10 to the dozen", shoved a seven-iron into rough, hacked on and three-putted.
"I will think about it until I win one," said the 43-year-old yesterday as he signed a new "long-term" deal with Aberdeen Asset Management, previous sponsors of his fellow Scot Paul Lawrie. "I am convinced that if I had been able to walk up to the ball and hit the second shot in the time I usually take I would have found the middle of the green and would have been okay."
"Every round of golf you learn. I learnt from the Open at St Andrews (he was second to Tiger Woods there two years ago) and from Winged Foot. Hopefully when I am in that position again I will take something from those experiences. I see myself being in contention at least once this season and I hope one day that door will open."
Meanwhile, South African Andrew McLardy shot a course-record 63 to hold a one-shot lead in the first round of the inaugural Joburg Open at the Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club.
The par-72 West course has never hosted a tournament before, as all previous events were on the tougher par-71 East course - which was also in use yesterday and will stage the final two rounds - and so McLardy had the honour of posting the first official record.
McLardy carded three birdies and one bogey on the front nine. But then he stormed back with a 29 coming home - including eagles at the 15th and 18th - to capture the lead.
The eagle on 15 was even more remarkable as his tee shot landed behind an oak tree and he produced a snap-hook that rolled to within three feet of the hole.
While South African Warren Abery, who won the International Final Qualifying for the Open at this course last year, is a shot back alongside compatriot Mark Murless, the real talking point was the form of Italian Edoardo Molinari, who is seven under after a red-hot 64 on the East course.
Considering how different the courses have played, the young Molinari, who won the US Amateur in 2005 and is the older brother of European Tour player Francesco and had an error-free round with seven birdies on the par-71 course.
David Higgins is six shots off the leader on 69.
