Monty has designs in Bahrain

Jan 28 2011 by Gordon Bannerman, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

RYDER Cup captain Colin Montgomerie’s handiwork is under the spotlight over the next few days.

The Perthshire-based star is participating in the inaugural £1.7 million Volvo Golf Champions event in Bahrain.

But it’s not so much his play as his design skills that are under scrutiny.

Monty mapped out the Montgomerie Course at the Royal Golf Club in Bahrain and planted a ceremonial palm tree behind the first tee before the far-flung European Tour’s newest event got under way yesterday.

“It’s a great honour to return and to play at a venue that has been designed by myself, ” said Monty.

Speaking ahead of his arboricultural duties, the 40-time tournament winner was relaxed about having 98 potential critics of his course design in the field, saying: “There’s only going to be one winner here, and the top 10 are going to leave here feeling that, yes, they had a chance of winning, so the course was OK.

“Everyone that’s going to miss the cut, unfortunately, is going to have the feeling that the greens weren’t that great, or the tees.”