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Vartan Kupelian
Vartan Kupelian is an award-winning golf writer for The Detroit News, and a columnist for http://GolfBrief.com. Kupelian is the author of "Stalking the Tiger: A Writer's Diary."
Monty’s match play magic
- By Vartan Kupelian
- Published 02/22/2008
- Commentary
- Unrated
It is well documented that Tiger Woods is a master at match play. In his game, there's a direct correlation between skill level and match play results. He's the best player in the world so he should be winning more than he loses.
Colin Montgomerie isn't the best player in the world. But for nearly a decade, he was the best and most honored golfer in Europe. He spent so much time atop the Order of Merit in the 1990s that it seemed more a birthright than an achievement.
Montgomerie has never won a major, never even won a PGA Tour event. He's 0-for-America, which puts a huge hole in his career record.
Let's amend that. He's 0-for-America in medal play. When it comes to match play, Montgomerie is a golfer at full throttle, especially in the Ryder Cup where he has been a thorn in the side of America's hopes.
What gives?
Montgomerie's affection for match play enables him to excel. Much like Woods in that regard, Montgomerie loves everything about the man-on-man format while others are less proficient and less enamored.
Montgomerie's rationale is hard to dispute.
"It's easier to beat one man than 155," Montgomerie told reporters after Thursday's second round at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
There's more, of course. In match play, Montgomerie believes he should win. He takes strength from past successes and his many Ryder Cup victories are embedded in his memory bank.
It happened again Thursday during Montgomerie's 1-up victory over American Charles Howell III.
When Howell birdied the 11th hole to draw even in the match, Montgomerie's caddie leaned over to him and said, "Right, Mr. Montgomerie, it's Ryder Cup mode."
That's all Montgomerie needed to hear.
"I was 4-under from then on in, so that was a good effort," he said. "(The caddie) should say that more often. He should say that in stroke play events."
Montgomerie believes the key to his success in match play — the key to anyone's success in the format — is not to give anything away. Make the opponent earn every win and every halve. It's what he does best.
"He's battle tested," said Stewart Cink, who on Friday was Montgomerie's third straight American opponent. "He's not going to give me anything. I'd like to think I won't give him anything, either."
A few years ago, Montgomerie dusted Cink at the WGC-Accenture Match Play.
"He waxed me pretty good," Cink said. "I think he was like 7-under through 11 holes or something … he steamrolled me."
Something else Montgomerie does almost as well as match play is regale listeners with his one-liners and stories from competitions past.
On Boo Weekley: "He's a very, very good golfer, Boo. Fantastic. I can't call him Boo. What is his name? It can't be Boo, can it? What's his birth certificate say?"
The issue came up when Weekley, a newbie in match play, neglected to concede a tap-in to his first opponent, Germany's Martin Kaymer. Weekley would say later he didn't know it was permissible to give an opponent putts.
And that reminded Montgomerie of another match play incident and, of course, it was from the Ryder Cup.
"I remember Wayne Levi was playing Seve (Ballesteros) at Kiawah Island, my first Ryder Cup in 1991," Montgomerie said. "On (one of the) first couple of holes Wayne Levi putted up to three feet and said, 'I'll finish.' Seve said, 'No, you won't.' (Levi) hadn't played match play, either, in the Ryder Cup. I mean, incredible.
"We in Europe, and in Britain especially, are brought up on match play golf within our clubs as junior members. We have match play competitions, and we sort of grow up on match play golf. Obviously in America it's not that popular and proven that way with Boo, who's a very, very good player, a top-50 player, and not understanding the match play ways.
"He's a very, very good golfer. I saw him — he was playing ahead of me today against (Sergio) Garcia, and it's always a good person to beat in Garcia, very good. In that American team that Mark Warren and I beat in the playoff over at Mission Hills in China in the World Cup, (Weekley) and Heath Slocum, he was fabulous.
"First time I had come across him, but he's a very good golfer, and I expect him to be in the Ryder Cup team, I really do. I think it will be interesting. Hope he has a little bit more experience in the match play game by the time we get to that stage. But I expect him to be in the Ryder Cup. He's very, very good. I was very impressed with him."
Maybe at Valhalla Golf Club, during the Ryder Cup, Montgomerie can ask Boo what his real name is.
Colin Montgomerie isn't the best player in the world. But for nearly a decade, he was the best and most honored golfer in Europe. He spent so much time atop the Order of Merit in the 1990s that it seemed more a birthright than an achievement.
Montgomerie has never won a major, never even won a PGA Tour event. He's 0-for-America, which puts a huge hole in his career record.
Let's amend that. He's 0-for-America in medal play. When it comes to match play, Montgomerie is a golfer at full throttle, especially in the Ryder Cup where he has been a thorn in the side of America's hopes.
What gives?
Montgomerie's affection for match play enables him to excel. Much like Woods in that regard, Montgomerie loves everything about the man-on-man format while others are less proficient and less enamored.
Montgomerie's rationale is hard to dispute.
"It's easier to beat one man than 155," Montgomerie told reporters after Thursday's second round at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship.
There's more, of course. In match play, Montgomerie believes he should win. He takes strength from past successes and his many Ryder Cup victories are embedded in his memory bank.
It happened again Thursday during Montgomerie's 1-up victory over American Charles Howell III.
When Howell birdied the 11th hole to draw even in the match, Montgomerie's caddie leaned over to him and said, "Right, Mr. Montgomerie, it's Ryder Cup mode."
That's all Montgomerie needed to hear.
"I was 4-under from then on in, so that was a good effort," he said. "(The caddie) should say that more often. He should say that in stroke play events."
Montgomerie believes the key to his success in match play — the key to anyone's success in the format — is not to give anything away. Make the opponent earn every win and every halve. It's what he does best.
"He's battle tested," said Stewart Cink, who on Friday was Montgomerie's third straight American opponent. "He's not going to give me anything. I'd like to think I won't give him anything, either."
A few years ago, Montgomerie dusted Cink at the WGC-Accenture Match Play.
"He waxed me pretty good," Cink said. "I think he was like 7-under through 11 holes or something … he steamrolled me."
Something else Montgomerie does almost as well as match play is regale listeners with his one-liners and stories from competitions past.
On Boo Weekley: "He's a very, very good golfer, Boo. Fantastic. I can't call him Boo. What is his name? It can't be Boo, can it? What's his birth certificate say?"
The issue came up when Weekley, a newbie in match play, neglected to concede a tap-in to his first opponent, Germany's Martin Kaymer. Weekley would say later he didn't know it was permissible to give an opponent putts.
And that reminded Montgomerie of another match play incident and, of course, it was from the Ryder Cup.
"I remember Wayne Levi was playing Seve (Ballesteros) at Kiawah Island, my first Ryder Cup in 1991," Montgomerie said. "On (one of the) first couple of holes Wayne Levi putted up to three feet and said, 'I'll finish.' Seve said, 'No, you won't.' (Levi) hadn't played match play, either, in the Ryder Cup. I mean, incredible.
"We in Europe, and in Britain especially, are brought up on match play golf within our clubs as junior members. We have match play competitions, and we sort of grow up on match play golf. Obviously in America it's not that popular and proven that way with Boo, who's a very, very good player, a top-50 player, and not understanding the match play ways.
"He's a very, very good golfer. I saw him — he was playing ahead of me today against (Sergio) Garcia, and it's always a good person to beat in Garcia, very good. In that American team that Mark Warren and I beat in the playoff over at Mission Hills in China in the World Cup, (Weekley) and Heath Slocum, he was fabulous.
"First time I had come across him, but he's a very good golfer, and I expect him to be in the Ryder Cup team, I really do. I think it will be interesting. Hope he has a little bit more experience in the match play game by the time we get to that stage. But I expect him to be in the Ryder Cup. He's very, very good. I was very impressed with him."
Maybe at Valhalla Golf Club, during the Ryder Cup, Montgomerie can ask Boo what his real name is.
Enough, already. We get the point. Actually, we got the point four months and 3,762 references ago, because that’s about how many times we have been subjected to this nonsense about something Ben Hogan may have said 57 years ago.
Michelle Wie was on the verge of something big last week at the LPGA State Farm Classic — her first professional win. But a rules infraction got her DQ'd on Saturday. Now she'll go after that first win on the PGA Tour, and likely won't forget to sign her card.
Anthony Kim was a crossroads. He could either continue down the road of laziness and late night carousing or he could shape up and start living up to his potential. He chose the latter — and he’s having way more fun.
Colin Montgomerie, 45, wants to play on yet another European Ryder Cup team. But this once-great, now-mediocre star is becoming a daily headline with his posturing — do I, should I, would I. We love our Euro brethren, but enough is enough.
The LPGA may be at its most vibrant, what with Lorena Ochoa and Annika Sorenstam, but it must keep a close eye on which way the needle is shifting.