Tickets on sale to  watch Montgomerie tackle 

Carnoustie in July ... Christmas present?

NEWS RELEASE

Colin Montgomerie, who brought the curtain down on another stupendous season by winning the MCB Tour Championship in Mauritius yesterday, will now return to his Perthshire home and spend the winter months hatching a cunning plan to correct the one ‘Major’ omission on his CV as a senior golfer.

 It promises to be an assignment designed to excite the spectating public, who can now buy reduced-price advance tickets to attend the 2016 Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex at the iconic Carnoustie links next July 21 to 24.

The eight-time European Number One, who celebrated his coronation as a back-to-back winner of the Senior Tour Order of Merit in Mauritius, has captured the US Senior Open along with two US PGA Senior titles twice during his first three seasons among the over-50s.

However, the Senior Open Championship on home soil has so far eluded Montgomerie, who will return to the most challenging of Open Championship venues on the rugged Angus coastline from July 21-14 with a clear mission in mind.

“Winning this one would be the icing on the cake,” declared the 52 year old Scot, who cannot wait to take up the test of matching the demands of a layout where he set the course record of 64 in the Scottish Open 20 years ago – an achievement which stands to this day.

For an advance price of £20 per day and just £60 for a weekly season (for a limited period until  January 10), spectators will be able to watch from close quarters as a world-class field of Major Champions face the perils of Carnoustie, with Europe’s record-breaking Senior champion, Montgomerie, enjoying the chance to renew an old acquaintance.

“It’s one of the ‘big three’ Senior titles,” said Montgomerie, who chalked up his third win of the season at the weekend to hoist his year’s earnings to €679,147.

“I’ve been lucky enough to win the US Senior Open and US PGA Senior titles but I am looking forward to this one, especially as it’s the first time I’ve played in the Senior Open in Scotland following Royal Birkdale, Royal Porthcawl and Sunningdale.”

Montgomerie, who plans to make the daily 50 minute commute from his home to Carnoustie, added: “It’s a great time of year and a great month for golf in Scotland in July with the Scottish Open, The Open and the Senior Open all taking place in three consecutive weeks north of the border.

“I love Carnoustie and I recall that eight under par 64 I shot on the opening day of the Scottish Open in 1995. The course is always in superb condition, and it’s a wonderful celebration of golf. It’s great that a legend like Tom Watson will be back where he won The Open in 1975 and Bernhard Langer will try to repeat his Senior Open win in 2010.

“Carnoustie is by far the best and hardest test of golf on The Open Championship rota, and possibly the best conditioned course as well. I always look forward to playing Carnoustie. It’s a real challenge. We all look forward to trying to pit our wits against it. Overall, it’s a great tournament, great course, great field and we all look forward to that week on the calendar.”

Early bird tickets for 2016 Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex are available now by clicking here: http://tickets.europeantour.com/event/the-senior-open-championship/carnoustie-golf-links/899860/ or by visiting: tickets.europeantour.co or by calling +44 (0)1344 850550.

Hospitality packages are also available click here:
http://tickets.europeantour.com/event/the-senior-open-championship-hospitality/carnoustie-golf-links/905538/