God smiles on Monty as storm delays put paid to McDowell
sk,3 Colin Montgomerie grimaces as his putt for par makes its way towards the hole on the 18th at the K Club yesterday. Moments later, Monty clenches his fist knowing he had set a Smurfit European Open target for others to chase.
GOD didn't just smile on Colin Montgomerie yesterday.
She twice worked in mysterious ways to keep the Scotsman's ball out of the water on the final two holes as he captured the Smurfit Kappa European Open in dramatic circumstances at The K Club yesterday.
And she sent forth the lightning bolts which fried Graeme McDowell's chances of victory.
After a week by the Liffey so wet that caddies might have been well advised to carry a snorkel and flippers in the bag, the worst of the weather was kept until last as thunderstorms forced two stoppages in play as the tournament came to its climax.
The first one, lasting 45 minutes, put paid to McDowell, while the second, just 90 minutes later, came rumbling with only six players remaining on the golf course - and Monty sweating on his one-stroke lead at the practice range.
In fairness to the Scot, he earned those strokes of fortune at 17 and 18 with a display of ball-striking which harked back to his finest years in the 90s.
Champagne
The only victory champagne Monty, 44, had tasted since the Hong Kong Open in December 2005 had been at last September's Ryder Cup at The K Club and it's fitting that what he described as the longest "dry spell" of his career should end at one of the wettest-ever tournaments.
"This is a very, very important win," he exclaimed. "I'd started to wonder if it was ever going to happen again. I'm so glad it has. That's win is No 31 on Tour, which is one above Nick Faldo, and that means a lot to me."
"I've not had an awful lot of luck in the Major Championships so it's nice to have a little good fortune occasionally," he admitted. "I've won the Irish Open three times and a Ryder Cup as well so I feel very comfortable here."
Monty struck the ball as imperiously on the Smurfit Course as he did at last week's French Open but his decision to switch back to the belly putter would be pivotal in Straffan.
Things didn't go his way on Saturday, when he took 32 putts, but six fewer yesterday al lowed his post a superb final round of 65 and claim a victory which boosts his confidence for this week's Scottish Open and, of course, Carnoustie.
Niclas Fasth went closest to spoiling Monty's party, the in-form Swede missing birdie putts from inside 10 feet at 17 and 15 feet at the last as he finished one tantalising stroke behind in second place.
Yet the most frustrated golfer on the planet yesterday afternoon was McDowell, who'd built a phenomenal head of steam with a hat trick of birdies on holes 10, 11 and 12 and was standing in the middle of the fairway on 13 when play was first brought to a halt.
Just two strokes off the lead, the Portrush man had the scent of victory and few who know McDowell, 27, would have bet against him achieving his third European Tour success, until that siren sounded.
"It was absolutely the worst scenario for me," he said. I'd ripped a drive down 13 and was feeling great but I'd a really tough shot coming back - 175 into a tough pin. I lost the feel of the greens for the 30 minutes we were off and three-putted."
Even worse, after eating a a leisurely lunch and performed a few stretches in the club house, McDowell was caught completely off guard by the call back to action.
"Last thing I heard, there was 15 minutes to go and, all of a sudden, it was 10 before we were meant to be back in position," he explained.
"I don't understand what the crack was. I didn't get a chance to hit a putt. I know the Tour were doing their best under difficult circumstances but it will have to be looked into," said McDowell.
Though he'd pick-up an excellent bounce-back birdie at 15, McDowell dropped four shots in the final three holes, including a double-bogey five when he hit his tee shot into the water at the last.
That ugly finish would cost McDowell a minimum €120,000 and being Ireland's top finisher in a tie for 18th on 7-under was little consolation.
Horror story
One issue which certainly needs resolving is his with the 6-iron. "I think I hit the club five times, including the tee shot at 18 yesterday, and every one of them was an absolute horror story.
"I'll take it straight to the Callaway truck in Loch Lomond on Wednesday - I hope there's something wrong with it. If not, there's something wrong with me."
McDowell was unfortunate to have his momentum spiked but, to Montgomerie's credit, the weather intervened as he stood over a 15 foot birdie putt at 15 and he rolled it home upon his return.
Though visions of last year's shocking final hole collapse at the US Open loomed as hi s tee shot at 18 drifted perilously close to the water, Monty's ball came to a rest a foot inside the hazard - and dry.
After seeing his tee shot stop on the bank just above the water at 17, it was tempting to say Monty was lucky but there was a lot more to his 40th victory worldwide than that.
Pádraig Harrington still ranks high among those who'd prefer the European Open to be played on the Ryder Cup course. Indeed, he's at a loss to explain why he finds it so difficult to rattle up good scores on the far shore of the Liffey.
Ireland's World No 10 yesterday finished outside the top-50 for the second time in three outings at The Smurfit.
Though happy with his swing and insisting his knee injury is not worthy of concern, Harrington appeared relieved at the opportunity to straighten out a few mental kinks at this week's PGA Irish Professional Championship after wrapping up the European Open in such lack-lustre fashion.
- at The K Club
