Colin Montgomerie enters the second half of his bid to win the European Senior Tour Order of Merit at Woburn Golf Club this week, with the Scot aiming for a successful defence of his title at the Travis Perkins Masters.
The 2010 European Ryder Cup Captain has enjoyed a superb season so far, winning the US Senior PGA Championship presented by KitchenAid and the US Senior Open, before finishing runner up to Bernhard Langer in The Senior Open Championship Presented by Royal Porthcawl.
Those performances have given him a commanding lead in the race to win the John Jacobs Trophy, and with the Majors now completed for another year, the 51 year old has now focused his attention on sealing the Order of Merit crown.
Montgomerie won the Money List a record eight times on The European Tour, and he is now bidding to follow Ian Woosnam (2008) as the only other player to repeat the feat on the Senior Tour.
A successful defence of his title in the Travis Perkins Masters would virtually guarantee that achievement, and the first prize of €56,376 on offer at Woburn would ensure he becomes the first player to earn more than €500,000 in a season on the Senior Tour.
“With the amount of money you can earn in the majors, it has put me in a very good position to win the John Jacobs Trophy,” said Montgomerie. “To have won the Order of Merit on the Junior Tour, as I call it now, was great so it would be fantastic to do it now on the Senior Tour.
“People say when you turn 50 you start a new chapter and it is true. I’m thoroughly enjoying it and this is a great week to continue what has been a wonderful season so far. It would be fantastic to defend the title and if doing so helps my bid to win the Order of Merit, then that’s even better.”
Montgomerie will certainly have good recollections to draw upon over the Duke’s Course, having claimed his maiden victory as a senior golfer by an impressive six strokes from Spaniard Miguel Angel Martin and Englishman Paul Wesselingh 12 months ago.
“I’ve fantastic memories from last year,” he said. “It was the first time I had won a senior event of any category. It was super to come here, to a course which people said suited me, and win. The competition was very good and I think it will be even better this year.
“Woburn is such a nice place to come and play. There are two or three places that are special to in Britain – Wentworth, Sunningdale and Woburn. Halfway round that Duke’s Course, it’s just a lovely place to be.
“The crowds are massive here each year. We had more than 23,000 last year which was fantastic, and a record for an event on the Senior Tour. Let’s hope they come out again this year and give us the support this event deserves.”
Montgomerie will begin in defence of the title alongside Denmark’s Steen Tinning, who finished runner up in the 2013 Order of Merit, and the in-form Argentine Cesar Monasterio, who won last week’s English Senior Open.
Tickets will be available on the gate priced at £15 daily and £30 season. Under 16s will be admitted free of charge if accompanied by an adult
