RYDER CUP legend Colin Montgomerie will make an emotional return to his home course Troon for next month’s Open after claiming the final qualifying spot.
The eight-time European Tour Order of Merit winner, 53, shot rounds of 66 and 71 to finish third at Gailes Links in Ayrshire and will make his first Open appearance since 2010.
Monty was forced into a nervy wait as Jack Doherty made a late move up the leaderboard to five under with six holes to play – but his fellow Scot took a bogey at the fifteenth which scuppered his challenge.
Montgomerie beamed: “If I was going to play one Open, it would be this one as my qualifying days are behind me after this.
“I’ll never play another at Troon because it comes back, what every 12 years, and I’ll be gone by then, so this gives me an opportunity to play and I think I can say this meant more to me than, with all respect to everyone else, to anyone else playing here.
“I’m glad that I made a reasonable showing today because you can go around in two 75s and not make a good showing.”
Scott Fernandez of Spain also qualified, finishing second after six birdies in a second-round 66 helped him finish second, four shots behind Swedish winner Oskar Arvidsson.
Meanwhile, Graeme McDowell, the 2010 US Open winner, has been added to the field for Troon in July as one of the highest-ranked non-exempt players.
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Monty continued: “It means the world to me, sure it does, and I look forward to playing and am delighted to do so.
“I had an opportunity at the Senior Open when I was two ahead with eight to go and didn’t win, and then of course you think you have blown the thing.
“But it was nice to come here with 72 players, a high-quality field and to finish third, which is all one has to do.”
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