Monty off to a good start in senior ranks

Senior service: Monty, pictured above with Bernhard Langer, has got his senior career off to a good start

Scots star impresses on over-50s debut in US Senior Players Championship

Colin Montgomerie got his senior golf career off to an encouraging start by posting a top ten finish in his first event, the US Senior Players Championship in Pittsburgh.

The eight-time European No.1 reeled off six birdies in a superb closing round of five-under-par 65 for an eight-under-par aggregate of 272. That was enough to help him bag a share of ninth place at Fox Chapel.

Monty never challenged the lead at any point in the championship, won by Kenny Perry, but he will have been pleased to finish as the top British player in his first senior golf outing.

The Scot opened the latest chapter of his storied career with a one-under-par 69. That was followed by an eventual level-par 70 in the second round, which included an ugly ‘seven’ on the par-4 15th.

He rallied on day three to post a fine two-under-par 68 before his excellent final round pushed him right up the leaderboard and into a share of ninth.

Montgomerie now has to make a mad dash back across the Atlantic today ahead of playing in Local Final Qualifying for the Open Championship at Gullane tomorrow.

He then has the US Senior Open at Omaha in Nebraska next week, followed by the Senior Open at Royal Birkdale at the end of the month.

For Perry, meanwhile, the victory was his first-ever taste of major glory after several earlier near-misses.

The American, runner-up in the 1996 PGA Championship and 2009 Masters Tournament, shot a final round 64 to finish two shots clear of fellow countrymen Fred Couples and Duffy Waldorf.

Bernhard Langer claimed the top European honours, finishing one shot better off than Montgomerie, whilst two-time major winner Sandy Lyle finished in a tie for 22nd.

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