More last-green misery for Monty
Colin Montgomerie walked onto the last green sharing the lead today and walked off it trailing.
The good news for the Scot was that, unlike last Sunday at the United States Open, there is still a round to come in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.
The bad, however, was that Montgomerie was not sure he has the reserves of energy – or the power required on this particular course – to overhaul new leader Paul Casey.
After trailing by three midway through the third round Casey came home in a brilliant five-under-par 32 for a best-of-the-day 66 and a one-stroke lead over his Ryder Cup team-mate.
They stand 15 under and 14 under respectively, with Danes Thomas Bjorn and Soren Hansen and also Australian Brett Rumford two strokes further back.
After everything he put into last week’s major, the anguish he suffered by double-bogeying the last hole to lose by one and, of course, any lingering jetlag it was no surprise that Montgomerie admitted to flagging.
He still managed a four-under-par 69 and, with a record as good as his and the backing of a home crowd, he might still win. But the way he spoke afterwards it will be against the odds.
It was a fairly lacklustre day for the Irish. Stephen Browne and Peter Lawrie were best with two-under-par 71s to leave them on six under and five under respectively.
Paul McGinley fired a 72 to go to four under, while David Higgins shot a disappointing 76 to fall back to even par.
Damien McGrane is one over after three rounds.
