Montgomerie squeezes
Montgomerie squeezes
into top 50 in world
Associated Press
London
Colin Montgomerie moved up to No. 50 in the world rankings by
the narrowest margin Monday, making him exempt for the U.S. Open
next month at Pinehurst and renewing debate over a rules dispute
at the Indonesian Open earlier this year.
Montgomerie appeared destined for qualifying until he birdied
the last hole and closed with a 6-under 66 in the BMW
Championship at Wentworth, moving him from 37th place to a tie
for 11th. When Kirk Triplett failed to finish second on the PGA
Tour, that gave Montgomerie just enough points to reach No. 50.
But the rules dispute likely will follow him to Pinehurst in
North Carolina in two weeks.
When play was suspended by rain at the Indonesian Open in
March, Montgomerie failed to mark his ball in a bunker, and it
was not there when the round resumed. He replaced his ball,
although video later showed he put it in the wrong spot.
Montgomerie wound up in a tie for fourth.
Without that result, he would not have been No. 50 on Monday,
the cutoff for being exempt for the U.S. Open.
The European tour declined to penalize him, although when
Montgomerie had a chance to review the tape, he felt it was an
incorrect drop and donated his prize money to a tsunami relief
fund.
The tour's tournament committee, composed of players, two
weeks ago said it was not satisfied with Montgomerie's failure to
mark his ball.
On Sunday, Gary Evans said 98 percent of the players were
concerned about the ruling, and that "there has been smoke around
Monty before."
Eleven other players also earned exemptions Monday to the U.S.
Open.
Justin Leonard, who won the St. Jude Classic in Memphis,
Tennessee, qualified by finishing in the top 10 on the PGA Tour
money list through the first five months of this year, and for
being in the top 50.
Others who made it by being in the top 50 were Luke Donald,
Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman, Thomas Bjorn, Peter Lonard, Shigeki
Maruyama, Craig Parry, Rod Pampling, Fred Couples, Paul McGinley
and Charles Howell III.
Sectional qualifying for the U.S. Open begins next week. The
U.S. Open will be held June 16-19 at Pinehurst No. 2.