Colin Montgomerie earns 3rd Champions Tour major, but no respect from Golf Channel

Colin Montgomerie, after prevailing at last week’s Senior PGA Championship, is batting .300 when it comes to capturing major titles on the Champions Tour circuit.

But, as the Associated Press noted and Golf Channel hammered home, the winner of three of his last six starts (and 10 overall) in senior major events, will always be 0-for-71 in grand slam events primarily for the 50-and-under crowd.

Montgomerie, a 31-time Euro Tour victor, cruised to a four-shot win at French Lick Resort, easily leaving runner-up Esteban Toledo in his considerable wake. His victory put him in rather elite company, as he joined Jack Nicklaus as the only two players to win majors in their first three Champions Tour contests.

“Any time that you emulate something that Jack Nicklaus has achieved, even in senior golf, I’m very honored,” Monty told reporters after posting a final-round 3-under 69 to finish at 8-under for the week.

Montgomerie, the Euro Tour’s money winner eight times, eight-time Ryder Cup player and four-time player of the year, was also the first golfer since Hale Irwin won three in a row in 1996-1998 to go back-to-back at the Senior PGA.

Despite such an accomplished career, it seems that the Scot, christened “Mrs. Doubtfire” by funny man/analyst David Feherty years ago, will forever remain golf’s Rodney Dangerfield. Perhaps his reputation as a dour, “soft-bellied snob,” made him the object of such vociferous heckling that he quit playing U.S. golf tournaments.

Years later, though, all has been forgiven as Montgomerie returned stateside and broke through for his first United States win on the senior tour in 2014. Monty termed his greeting from U.S. fans “fantastic,” and certainly deserves accolades for the success he continues to achieve in the over-50 set.

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