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Colin Montgomerie has outlined his No.1 target for the 2017 season: win the Senior Open.
The 53-year-old is just back playing after three months out with a serious ankle ligament injury and the frustration that has built up over his inactivity has only strengthened his desire to capture a title which has so far proved elusive.
The trip to Royal Porthcawl from July 27-30 will mark the Scot’s fifth appearance at the tournament, with his best finish runner-up to Bernhard Langer by some 13 shots at the same venue in 2014.
“I won the ‘other’ championship by three shots,” he joked. “I thought I had done extremely well to shoot five-under and was waiting to receive the trophy. Unfortunately, they handed it to Bernhard, not me!
“Seriously, I honestly don’t think we will see the like of those four rounds by Bernhard again. That was one of the great performances. The only shame is that the world’s top 50 golfers weren’t in attendance because I reckon he’d have beaten them all. I really do think that. I think it was the best performance of golf in 2014. It was absolutely amazing what he did.”
However, the eight-time European Tour No.1 is determined to make sure it’s his adversary that’s on the receiving end this time around.
“Having been second in The Open at St Andrews and second in the Senior Open at Royal Porthcawl, I would love to go one better,” he added.
“It is right on my radar – my No.1 target and the most important event on my calendar – and I am looking forward to it.”
An all-star line-up of senior golfing legends will assemble at Royal Porthcawl, with former Ryder Cup captains such as Langer and Montgomerie being joined by a host of major winners from the past 40 years, including Tom Watson, Ian Woosnam, John Daly, José Maria Olazábal and Fred Couples.
Paul Broadhurst will be defending the title he captured at Carnoustie last year, while Phillip Price and Paul McGinley will feature in the event for the first time.
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