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Monty opens up on and off the course
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England -- Colin Montgomerie is not a golfer, he's a tortured artist. It's a wonder that after all these years he hasn't yet sliced off his ear with a 1-iron. I just watched Monty hole out from 30 feet at the last for a 65 in the first round of the British Open, and then engage the golf literati in one of his always-entertaining press conferences. There's not another golfer on the planet who so regularly bares his soul and this week has been no exception. On Wednesday Montgomerie strolled into the press room and performed a half hour of self-flagellation. There was precious little talk about matters involving golf swings and course setups. No, Monty gave us a guided tour through the ghetto of his psyche. He talked about the ebbs and flows of his confidence, how he was consumed by expectations throughout the mid-to-late '90s, and how he has been desperately trying to remain upbeat in this, the twilight of a most confounding career.
And then -- poof! -- Montgomerie managed to chase his demons away for a day, insouciantly strolling around Royal Lytham & St. Annes as if it was just another meaningless Euro tour event, the kind he's feasted on for the past 12 years. He had said Wednesday that it was important to get off to a good start on the first hole, as if he were a nervous 19-handicapper. So all Monty did was drain a 20-footer on No. 1. "The first putt of an Open is very important," he would say. In dissecting his round Montgomerie kept harkening back to psychological ephemera. The 8-footer he made for par at 11? It was good for the "spirit." Having the first-round lead? "The whole psyche of the championship changes now," Montgomerie said in fluent psychobabble. In truth, there is more to Montgomerie's early success than a rare alignment of the stars and moons with his head. Three weeks ago he ended his victory drought with a strong finish at the Irish Open, and along the way he led the tournament in putting -- the first time in his career, Montgomerie claims, that he has topped a Euro tour event in that category. His work with the flatstick was superb Thursday, as he one-putted the final four holes, including three big par saves. He also caught a break with the tee times, going out early on a wet, soft course. The boys teeing it up in the afternoon will face far faster conditions, as Montgomerie will Friday with his 2:20 tee time. If he is finally going to get off the schneid in a major then Friday, I think, will be the key. In a career of near-misses at the Slams, the one that Monty stews on the most is the 1997 U.S. Open at Congressional. He opened with a 65 to take the lead but coughed it up on in the second round, shooting a jittery 76. If Montgomerie comes strong on Friday he will be hard to shake. With its tight fairways, the course here sets up beautifully for him, and the whole of Great Britain is behind him now. Of course, to hear the new touchy-feely Monty tell it, he's just looking for the little victories. "If I go out there and score 80 [Friday] there will be some positives from that," he says. "Not many, but in this game you have to try to get the positives out of anything. If you think about the negatives too much you might as well pack it in." Don't pack those bags yet, Monty. There's still so much golf left in this championship, and we can't wait for your next confessional. Sports Illustrated senior writer Alan Shipnuck periodically waxes about life On Tour for CNNSI.com. Click here to send him a question or a nice, friendly comment.
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