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DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

October 6, 2002

Colin Montgomerie

ST. ANDREWS, SCOTLAND

GORDON SIMPSON: Well, Colin, a wonderful round of golf today. I know that you wanted the course record but I know you would be a disappointed with that finish to say the least. It looked like 61 was a possibility.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Yeah. Well of course. But let me start off by saying when you stand on that 17th tee and it's getting colder and the breeze is picking up and you're 9-under for the day, you possibly take, you take four, four to finish. And I was thinking of eight shots to finish. Now whether that was five three or has it happened it was three, five. But you take eight shots to finish the round off. And I was very fortunate at 17 because I pushed my drive. But it's much better being right off that tee, I always feel, than going left. Especially when they put the pin behind the bunker there. And you at least have some sort of angle to come in for the second shot. So I try and get as far right as I possibly can without going out of bound, obviously. I did that right. And I was very lucky with my 6-iron. I pulled it about five yards and I was fortunate.

18, of all times to land in a sort of seeded one of these seeded divots. You know, I much prefer the situation where the green keepers would leave holes, you know, it's much better to play out of a hole. I think you all know yourself, a seeded divot from that distance, it's very difficult to have to catch my L wedge absolutely perfectly and I didn't. I just caught it a touch heavy. And of course it was exaggerated by the fact that it wasn't lying properly. And I've never putted from the Valley of Sin before at all and it's very, very slow. So if you ever have a putt from there remember it's very slow going up that hill. And I thought I holed, I thought I holed my next putt. I must admit it. It short of wandered off to the right, surprising me, because it should have come in right-to-left. So I thought I holed that. But all in all I can't complain. I've had a good, a very good two weeks in high life.

GORDON SIMPSON: Did you have a number in mind after the 12th, because you birdied six in a row.

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Sure. After going around the lip and birdieing every hole, you want to try and get as many 3's in that loop as possible, but to add in a couple of 2's was real bonus. And then to, after the, after 12 it was getting interesting, I must admit. To be 9-under after 12, the round was beginning to get interesting then. I got a couple of poor lies at 13 and 14. The second shot at 13, my third shot at 14, and then on 18. So it's just one of these things that stopped me. But that was okay. I can't, I'm not complaining about 63. Don't get me wrong. It's a good score.

Q. (Inaudible.)

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: I wasn't playing any Chinese or Indian or Paraguayans today. I had an Englishman and a Dutchman. And I felt quite comfortable. Whenever you're expected to win on any course it's always quite difficult. And I've had my problems on this course before, because it is a unique place and a unique golf course and it is quite difficult sometimes. But I've had my disappointments here and I've had my success here as well. And it's nice to have a reasonable amount of success this time. I'm very tired and I wasn't really doing much the first three days. And today was obviously very, very good.

Q. How would you describe today's round?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: In comparison to last week, last week was very different. Obviously I had a job to do. I was given a particular role and a responsibility, if you like, from Sam. And I'm only glad that I managed to pull that responsible role off in a way.

Today was very different. I was just playing for myself. And it's a lot easier today. So last week was much more important to me than this round of golf. Yeah. It was a responsible position I had last week. There was no responsibility today at all. Just I wanted to play quite well. Which I'm doing right now.

Q. What are your plans for the rest of this season?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Well, I'm off to Paris on Tuesday and then for the Trophee Lancome, back for the World Match Play and then we just keep rolling along, you know.

Q. Last week has given you the belief that all things are possible again?

COLIN MONTGOMERIE: Sure. People say to me that it's, probably the Major opportunity has gone, but -- and then you sort of, in sort of the down times you tend to believe that sometimes. And self-doubt creeps in. And you feel, okay, it's not going to happen. Majors are more difficult to win because Tiger's entered them now. And it's, they are more difficult to win. But if I come into a Major the way I have this week and also last, especially last week, of course I will have an opportunity of winning. Yeah. And there's people that won Majors in the past three years, Tiger hasn't won them all, people won Majors in the last three years that I feel I'm as good as. So there's no reason why I can't. And I would like to do that. I mean it doesn't, it won't change me in any way, it won't change my life. It will just probably change your questioning for the next couple of years.

(Laughter.)