If Monty was upset by Lyle,

how's he going to cope

with pressure of Ryder

Cup week captaincy?

FROM THE SPORT.SCOTSMAN.COM WEBSITE
By Alan Pattullo
While he has hammed up the wounded animal act, Colin Montgomerie perhaps has cause to thank Sandy Lyle if they ever do manage to have that pint together.
The Jakarta-gate row with Lyle has overshadowed not only Montgomerie's poor play, but also the rather brutal possibility that this might be his last Open. Indeed, his Open career could already be over after a four-over-par 74 meant he missed the cut for the third time in his last four appearances in the tournament.
Living up to the 'drama queen' reputation resurrected by Lyle earlier this week, Montgomerie kept everyone hanging on. The projected cut hovered around four-over-par for much of the day; he finished on five.
His performance here continued his recent trend of (comparative) mediocrity on the golf course. He deserves some sympathy for having been catapulted into the media spotlight this week due to loose words elsewhere.
But if Monty's Turnberry performance was affected by Lyle's taunts, then what will happen when pitched into the real pressure-cooker environment that is the Ryder Cup?
Asked directly whether the brouhaha had impacted on his two rounds at Turnberry, Montgomerie seized on the opportunity to lay the blame somewhere other than on his own doorstep:
"Very much so, yes," he said.
Few will be fooled by this. Neither will they be surprised by Montgomerie's eagerness to deflect from his shortcomings. As he waited to tee off at the 17th during yesterday's round, he noted to his caddie that the wind had now died down.
What he was implying seemed obvious to those present: 'Jeez, that's just typical, the guys behind me are going to have it easy compared to put-upon me.'
Monty's greatest gripe this week has been with Lyle. But he was not standing over his shoulder and whispering 'cheat' into his ear when he failed to distinguish himself at Loch Lomond last week. Nor was his nemesis to blame at the European Open, when he finished tied for 55th, or at the BMW international Open, when he limped in at 66th on the leaderboard.
Montgomerie's 13th finish at the French Open is his best result of the year. With or without Lyle, Colin's talent is on the wane, regrettably, as he grows older.
In Japanese custom it is normal for those reaching the end of their days to return to their place of birth to die. His native Ayrshire could be a fitting location for his Open career to be given the last rites.
The clapping which was heard as he trudged up fairways resembled that which salutes a funeral cortege as it passes. It was slow, respectful and shot through with sadness. The Scottish golf galleries have long been recognised as knowledgeable. They were aware of the significance of the moment.
Even the wind in the wires above seemed to moan out a lament for Montgomerie, who had chosen a dark blue jersey for what could prove his farewell to the competition. It is hard to credit. The Scot finished runner-up to Tiger Woods at St Andrews just four years ago but could now reap the bleak harvest of having failed to clinch an Open title in 20 attempts.
While Paul Lawrie can look forward to competing in every Open until he is 60, thanks to his victory at Carnoustie 10 years ago, Monty is staring down the barrel of it all being over, aged just 46.
The Scot was actually lucky to qualify for this year's Open. Only a helpful change in the rules saw him join the other 155 competitors on Thursday morning. Instead of the top 20 on last season's European money list being rewarded with places it became the top 30. Montgomerie finished 27th.
Judging by his current form, he could struggle to feature in the top 30 next year. While he has been given an exemption at next month's US PGA championship due to his Ryder Cup captaincy, the Royal and Ancient club do not tend to issue invitations for this reason.
As for the Masters, Montgomerie did not qualify this year, and could struggle to do so again. The US Open, which always seemed his most likely route to major success and where he finished second on three occasions, will also require the Scot to play himself into the tournament.
Where now for Monty? He returned to his home in Perthshire last night with much thinking to do, although one thing is now firm in his mind: fellow-Perthshire resident Lyle will not be joining him on his Ryder Cup team next year.
This contest with the United States only runs for three days, but will occupy much of his time in the weeks and months ahead. While it won't necessarily affect his game, his commitments ahead of the Celtic Manor event are hardly going to help it.
Indeed, yesterday seemed to accurately represent where Montgomerie is now. He just cannot seem to take any strides forward. His last six birdies were all followed immediately by bogeys. "You can't do that and unfortunately I am going to miss out here," he said.
If it's frustrating for the fans, then what must the torment be like in Monty's mind? A rapturously received birdie at the 13th hole, where he had to recover after hitting his second into a bunker, was followed by a messy bogey at the next.
Bunker and hay were visited on his way to a 5 and his mood darkened again. His slouched demeanour was permitted in the circumstances. He still commands support. It has been more notable this week due to him having also attracted the sympathy vote.
Many here felt Lyle's comments were below the belt, and uncalled for. These are Monty's ain (Ayrshire) folk, after all.
One shout of "Well played Monty!" seemed intended to gee him up but having just pocketed a double bogey, the Scot understandably interpreted it as sarcasm. He stopped in his tracks. "Well played? I have just shot a double bogey!"
He felt the warmth of the crowd when a marshall shouted, "Will you stand still!" to spectators just as he was addressing the ball at the 17th. Monty glared at the gentleman in question, and just shook his head.
"C'mon Monty, you can still do it!" came another shout.The Scot would swap all this empathy for a place among the contenders again. It was all rather mundane as he came down the last fairway at just after 1pm. It felt as though the flags on the stands should all have been at half-mast. Applause rippled in the galleries but was drowned out by the reception for Tom Watson at the first tee nearby.
Montgomerie really needed at least a par to leave him with a chance of weekend involvement. He shot a bogey, having found another bunker with his tee shot. This wasn't the way anyone wanted him to go – not even Sandy Lyle.

IT'S 7-1 THE FIELD NOW THAT TIGER'S GONE
The shock and totally unexpected departure of Tiger Woods at the halfway stage of the Open has left punters racking their brains to find the next winner of the Claret Jug, with some generous prices reflecting the nature of a closely-packed field.
LATEST ODDS
L Westwood 7-1
R Goosen 7-1
R Fisher 10-1
S Garcia 10-1
S Marino 14-1
V Singh 14-1
J Furyk 16-1
C Villegas 20-1
M Kaymer 20-1
M A Jiménez 20-1
A Cabrera 25-1
S Cink 25-1
J B Holmes 33-1
M Calcavecchia 33-1
T Watson 33-1
Others 50-1 and upwards
•Source: Ladrokes.com