Monty: I'm not over the Oakland hill

Aug 3 2008 By Euan Mclean

COLIN MONTGOMERIE reckons he could be holing another winning putt at Oakland Hills this week if he can feed off the feelgood factor from his Ryder Cup heroics.

The Detroit course was the scene of arguably Monty's greatest moment in golf when he rolled home a five-footer on the 18th to seal a remarkable win for Europe.

Now four years later the last Major of the season, the US PGA, brings the Scot back to the setting of his starring role in that record 18.5 to 9.5 victory over the hot-favourite Americans.

And he admits he'll be trying to relive every good shot and positive memory from that magical week.

From beating the so-called dream team of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson on the first day to closing out victory with singles success over David Toms - he's spoilt for choice.

So it's fitting he should find the birthplace of the famous Motown record label is good for the soul.

Montgomerie said: "I think I will grow an inch taller going back to Oakland Hills bearing in mind what happened before.

"Hopefully I'll be holing another winning putt on that green come Sunday!

"A lot of that European team will go back with fond memories of our best result in America.

"Many of us won our singles matches in 2004 and we must go back there with confidence of thinking a European is going to win a US PGA for the first time in God knows how long."

For the record it's 78 years. Scotland's Tommy Armour was the last triumphant European in 1930 when the tournament was in its original matchplay format.

That's a staggering barren run Monty came painfully close to ending in 1995 when he lost to Steve Elkington in a play-off.

But since 2000 his highest finish in the PGA is 39th and he's missed the cut four times.

Yet this year's venue and the absence of Tiger Woods has boosted the 45-year-old's belief he can mount a challenge.

He'll be far from the only one however as Europe's victorious captain from 2004, Bernhard Langer, believes ANY of his Oakland Hills heroes could be inspired to more glory in Detroit.

Only four of Langer's 12-man team will be missing this week but he has high hopes for the rest - Monty, Open champ Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Darren Clarke.

Langer said: "Obviously Harrington is on cloud nine and going strong with confidence - but any of the guys from that team are capable of winning.

"Westwood has been playing well, Garcia has been good at times so we have a lot of guys who should do it in Majors.

"It helps for them to have played five or six rounds there. They gained valuable experience of the course and I'd love to see one of them make it count."