Colin Montgomerie believes that Tiger Woods has to win a major championship this year if he is to catch Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18, but reckons it could come at Merion this week.
Woods is a prohibitive favourite for the US Open this week at the shortish course in suburban Pennsylvania, but Monty, who will be on commentary duty for Sky Sports rather than pursuing the major where he finished second three times, thinks there’s more pressure on the world No 1 than ever.
“I think Tiger’s winning everything bar a major isn’t he?” said the Scot, who will start his seniors career later this month.
“Everyone says he’s back but no one will say he’s truly back until he wins another one. The harder he tries the worse it is, and I think that he’s trying extremely hard right now to win his first since God knows how long ago (2008 in fact).
“I do agree that there is more pressure on him than ever before. I think if he wins one this year I think Nicklaus’s record could be back on again, but this year is vital he’s got to win one this year.”
Monty feels that Merion shapes up well for Woods, however.
“Tiger seems to adapt very well to courses that aren’t supposed to suit him, Sawgrass doesn’t suit him, Hoylake didn’t suit him in 2007, but he used his 4-iron and won,” he continued.
“I think he’ll be anxious to get over the disappointment of what happened at Memorial last week, that was like a Novak Djokovic serving a whole set of double faults, it just doesn’t happen.
“Conditions were quite breezy, but not to that degree. There’s players scoring 69 so there wasn’t that degree of difficulty.
“I don’t know if physically he was okay or whatever, but eight over par for nine holes, that’s a hell of a lot.”
Monty, who suffered a great deal from American galleries in the past, fears for the reaction from US fans to Sergio Garcia after his ill-judged “fried chicken” comments at Wentworth.
“It would be very sad for our game if he gets booed on the first tee,” said Monty, for whom they had to distribute “Be Nice to Monty” badges at one point in his career.
“Remember we’re only a couple of hours from New York and it’s a lively crowd.
“The best thing Sergio can do is play his golf and score 66 first day. I tried to do that and failed miserably at it, but at the same time that’s the best thing he can do. That will silence all the critics.
“At least he’s prepared for it and he knows. He spoke to me at Wentworth on the Thursday or Friday when I’d said well done in making the cut, and he said it’s going to be difficult in America. I said I know it is, but you get on with it and play your golf.”
As for Rory McIlroy, the Scot feels that more than most the World No 2 “can switch it on and off again”.
“The talent of the man, anything can happen,” said Monty, Rory’s first Ryder Cup captain.
“He could get round any course with a three-iron and a wedge. I think that it’s time that he stood up to the plate and said `Right Tiger, I really am up with you and I’m going to go with you right here’ Rory has got huge incentive, because we’re all thinking he’s not really performing and Thursday is the time for him to say he’s back on.
“He’s so talented, there’s a feeling there’s a switch that can be just turned on. He goes from third gear into fifth gear and he can win just the way it did at Congressional, the way it did at Kiawah.”