Monty achieves top-10 target
Colin Montgomerie has already achieved one of his aims for 2006 following a dramatic win at the UBS Hong Kong Open yesterday.
The Scot took advantage of a late collapse by South African James Kingston, who led for much of the final round, to win by one stroke on nine under par.
Victory at Fanling earned Montgomerie £116,000 (€172,000) and moved him up to world number nine, where he intends to stay.
Speaking before the updated rankings were released, the 42-year-old said: “The goal at the start of 2006 is to try to get into the top 10 in the world.
“I know it is a very difficult task to get back into that top 10 because there are a lot of great players ahead of me but that is my goal, and it is a realistic one.
“I am not saying I want to be number one in the world, I know that is not realistic, so I am sensible in saying the top 10 is a good and realistic goal for me to achieve.”
Montgomerie had carded a final round of par 70 and looked on as Kingston suffered a double-bogey on the 18th, slicing his tee shot into the trees and then missing a 10-foot putt, which would have forced a play-off.
“My play-off record is terrible, so I was rather glad we did not have one,” said Montgomerie. “I have won one out of nine in my career, against Ernie Els at Sun City.
“I have lost my other eight so I was not hoping for a play-off. James was very much favourite in the play-off, I can assure you.”
Kingston led by two shots after birdies at the third and 15th but gave the chasing pack hope by three-putting the 16th.
Montgomerie looked to have blown his chance by missing birdie putts on 17 and 18 but, in a painful rerun of last year’s event, Kingston again collapsed on the final hole to hand Montgomerie the title.
“Everyone’s heart goes out to James,” the eight-time European number one added. “That should have been a play-off at worst to be honest and then we would have had more drama coming down that last hole.
“He should be making the winner’s speech and not me. He played better golf than me for 71 holes this week but sometimes golf is a cruel game.
“We all feel for him, every golfer who plays the game feels for someone who doubles the last to lose.
“It has happened before and unfortunately it will happen again but on this occasion I am glad I managed to take the spoils after that.”
A crestfallen Kingston, who burst into tears on the green at the 18th, could only rue another missed opportunity, which he put down to nerves.
“I just messed up again for the second straight year,” said the 40-year-old, who was tied with eventual winner Miguel Angel Jimenez with one hole to play 12 months ago, but hooked his tee shot into the trees to bogey.
“It is obviously disappointing with the way I finished but that is golf. Obviously I was aware of the situation. I was just so nervous. Last year I pulled it left and this year I was not going to do the same thing. I hit it right and just made double from there.”
Kingston ended up in joint second place alongside Korea’s KJ Choi, Taiwan’s Keng-chi Lin, Thailand’s Thammanoon Srirot and American Edward Loar.
Overnight leader, Scotland’s Simon Yates, double bogeyed the par-four first to set the tone for a five-over round which included just one birdie and a triple bogey on the 14th, ruining his hopes of winning.
