OLAZABAL AND MONTGOMERIE REMEMBER

1984 FORMBY FINAL

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE R&A
With the 114th Amateur Championship fast approaching, two-time Masters champion, Jose Maria Olazabal and 2010 Ryder Cup captain, Colin Montgomerie have spoken about the 1984 final, when the Spaniard got the better of the Scot on the Sefton links. 25 years after that first encounter, they explained what they gained from playing amateur golf as they developed into successful Tour professionals.
“Winning The Amateur was a fantastic experience, not only because I was successful at the biggest amateur event in the world, but because of what it means in terms of tradition and self confidence for the future,” explained Olazabal, winner of 23 European Tour events.
“So many great players have come out of it through the years so it means a lot; especially when I think about it in conjunction with the Boys, the Youths, and the Silver Medal at The Open Championship. I still dream that one day I'll get the Claret Jug to complete the whole circle.”
Montgomerie, who came so close to taking The Amateur title in ’84, still has fond memories of that Championship.
“It was the first time that I was really regarded on a British stage as a leading player in the amateur game and, not surprisingly, I enjoyed the occasion,” added Montgomerie, “I found that I enjoyed the competitive nature of the game at that highest level of match play, although the Final was a bit one sided!
“Jose Maria is still one of my closest friends on tour and I have admired him as a golfer ever since.”
And both players feel that their amateur successes were major factors in preparing them for extremely successful careers on Tour.
“The competition in the amateur game at that stage was very high,” recalled Montgomerie, who won the European Tour’s Order of Merit a record eight times. “The upper level of the amateur game was our only stage before we went straight to the professional game and the competition was extremely strong, so this was a great asset as I transitioned into the professional game.”
“When you win The Amateur you know you are the best in the world,” Olazabal continued. “It’s the pinnacle of achievement in the amateur game. You realise that you have to keep working hard to try to forge your future in the professional ranks but it boosts you. It definitively means a big push because you know you can make it.”
The Amateur Championship takes place at Formby and West Lancashire golf clubs from Monday 15 – Saturday 20 June.
Full scores, stories and video highlights will appear on www.randa.org throughout the days of competition.