COLIN MONTGOMERIE is desperate to see former world No.1 Tiger Woods back to full fitness and back on the golf course.

This week's US Open at Pinehurst will be the second Major of the year, after April's Masters, that Woods has missed due to surgery on a niggling back problem.

Woods, the 14-time Major champ, notified officials that he would be withdrawing from the Pinehurst showpiece a couple of weeks ago and now there are doubts over his fitness for July's Open at Hoylake.

The Ryder Cup at Gleneagles is also looming on the horizon and Monty reckons the global game needs Woods back at the sharp end of affairs again.

Montgomerie, who was speaking at the launch of a Johnnie Walker limited edition Ryder Cup whisky at Gleneagles, said: "The big question now is whether he is coming back for The Open and if he misses that one then it's only two weeks to the US PGA.

"It is odd to have the US Open without him in it because he's the one guy you talk about more than anyone.

"We want him to play in the Ryder Cup; it's a better and bigger event with him in it. I think he'll be back for The Open, but if he's not it must be a major problem, much worse than we ever thought.

"The Ryder Cup is getting close now and he needs a pick unless he starts winning these things. Would you pick Tiger at 75 per cent? I don't know, it's up to Tom Watson to decide but it's also up to the rest of the team as well. Do they want someone who's not fit?

"Can they put their trust in a guy who's not fit enough to play his best? It's a difficult one for the captain but I wish him well because golf misses him. He's the biggest name in golf."

There will be no Woods on the tees at Pinehurst this week but Monty, who will be working as an analyst for Sky Television, can see only one winner - Rory McIlroy.

The Pinehurst No.2 course has been stripped back to its more traditional layout and there will be wide fairways and no sign of the kind of thick, gouge-out rough so typical of US Opens.

Despite the personal problems caused by his break-up from fianceé, Caroline Wozniacki, McIlroy went on to capture his first win of 2014 in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth and is now aiming for a third Major crown this week.

Monty added: "I think Rory McIlroy will win. Pinehurst is set up for a ball-striker and Rory is the best ball-striker in the world and he is going to win it this time.

"He is just getting into things with his win at the PGA Championship and I think he is ready. It was a super win at Wentworth. He wants to get back to world No.1 again."