COLIN MONTGOMERIE means business as he begins his bid for Senior Open glory at Sunningdale on Thursday.
The Scot has won the last two US Senior PGA Championships and the 2014 US Senior Open in a sensational run that has seen him finish second or better in every one of the last five events played on the European Senior Tour.
Montgomerie, who leads the US Champions Tour standings, finished second behind Bernhard Langer at last year’s Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl in Wales.
But the 52-year-old wants to put that right this time round, saying: “It would mean the world to me to win here. It's a lovely place to be, just to walk around even, never mind even playing the great golf course.
“It's playing quite short because the firmness of the heat we've had down in London this year, so that will help soften the course and make it less fiery, which will make the course play better.”
Monty could only stand back and admire in Porthcawl last year as Langer won by a record 13 strokes.
The two have been vying for the honours on the Champions Tour circuit this year, with Montgomerie currently first and Langer third on the American tour’s standings.
The man saddled in between the two European Ryder Cup legends is Jeff Maggert, the American who pipped Montgomerie to this year’s US Senior Open.
The two have been paired together for the first two rounds, with Tom Watson the other man in that marquee three-ball, and Montgomerie is looking forward to playing with his contemporaries.
“They have got goals ahead of them, I know they have. They’ve got targets to try and win this, so I've got to keep on top of them,” said the eight-time European Order of Merit winner.
“It won't being easy though. I know how well Jeff's playing and I know that this course will suit him, with the style of his play he has, and Tom is still a highly competitive individual.
“So it will be a good three-ball, and I was excited when the draw came out because I know that if I stay ahead of those two guys come Friday evening, it will be job done, and that I won't be far away from the lead.”
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