Colin Montgomerie wins senior OOM

• Scot seals senior Order of Merit
• Does so after finishing sixth in final event of the season
• Adds senior crown to eight European Tour OOMs
• ‘This is very special’ says former Ryder Cup captain

Eight times a winner of the European Tour Order of Merit, Colin Montgomerie added the senior money list to his lengthy list of achievements in Mauritius over the weekend.

The Scot signed off a sensational 2014 season by receiving the John Jacobs Trophy, above, after finishing sixth in the MCB Tour Championship, won by England’s Paul Wesselingh.

The 51-year-old claimed four European Senior Tour titles, including two over-50s majors, during a record-breaking 2014 campaign, winning the Order of Merit with earnings of €624,543 – the highest in the history of the Senior Tour, comfortably beating Carl Mason’s previous 2007 benchmark of €412,376.

The 2010 European Ryder Cup captain becomes just the second former European Tour No.1 repeat the feat on the Senior Tour, matching the achievement of another former Ryder Cup captain, Ian Woosnam, in 2008.

“This is great,” said Montgomerie. “To think I have eight of these Order of Merit trophies from the European Tour, which take pride of place, and now the John Jacobs Trophy from the Senior Tour to go alongside them is fantastic.

“There are some great golfers due to turn 50 over the next few years, such as José María Olazábal and Paul McGinley.” – Colin Montgomerie

“This will most certainly join them, because this is very special. To win an Order of Merit again, and make it nine, really does mean a lot, and I look forward to trying to retain it next year. It has been a very special year, winning two majors in America and twice back in Europe, and now capping it off with this.”

Montgomerie added that he expects to have his work cut out for him as he bids to maintain his position at the top of seniors golf on this side of the Atlantic.

“There are some great golfers due to turn 50 over the next few years, such as José María Olazábal and Paul McGinley, so I’m not sure winning as many as I did on the European Tour is a goal,” he said. “I’m just glad I have got one. There’s only Ian Woosnam and myself who have won both, and that is very special. To win like this as senior golfers means we are very lucky, firstly to still be in good health, and secondly to still be competitive.

“So it has been great and I love the competition. That is why I am still playing and I have thoroughly enjoyed this season.”

Colin Montgomerie :: Can he dominate seniors golf in 2015?

What do you think next year has in store for Colin Montgomerie? Can he repeat his hugely successful 2014? Leave your thoughts in our ‘Comments’ section below.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor