Open 2011: ‘No access to course’ reminder really rubs it in for Colin Montgomerie

Talk about kicking a man when he’s down.

Monty arrived at the Open on Tuesday, but the only clubs the best British player of his generation has picked up have been plastic.

As president of the Golf Foundation, the former Ryder Cup captain gave up his time to support an R&A Golf Roots project at Sandwich, showing youngsters how it’s done with foam balls and a coloured target.

Happy as he was to help, it was not quite the Open he had in mind.

Clutching his security pass, the Scot said, “I got my credentials and it says ‘does not admit to course’. That’s really the final dig!”‘I can win again’And he has seen enough to know this could have been an Open for him.

Montgomerie said, “The course suits my type of game, as Castle Stuart did. So that makes it even more disappointing.”

But the Dunning player remains optimistic, saying, “As long as I pick my courses well and don’t go to the ones that suit the bombers I can win again, I know I can.

“My next event will probably be at Gleneagles.”