2006 US Open - Monty

[@robloxvids2233]

Dear Lord 2 putts and he's in a playoff. Crazy. Johnny Miller's commentary during these last few holes is as good as it gets. He said so many spot-on things.

[@dotsy1982]

Monty, if you ever read this know that I love you and all people make bad decisions under intense pressure. Loads of golfers who were never in your class won majors but they didn’t contribute to the game the way you did. For 10 years at least you were the pride of Europe and although it was a shame you didn’t make 3 or 4 from that position in 06, you achieved other things that nobody else did. And you inspired me to play golf. Thank you and hold your head high sir.

[@SingleMaltBuckeye]

Europe is trash lmao

[@twyscape]

Loved his tempo, walked up to the ball, a couple of upward flicks and then hit it. No slow play with Monty.

[@tonysteiner4013]

I was at the finals of the American family insurance in Madison Wisconsin and I told him he had a nice shot and he go’s, “thanks mate” one of the coolest things ever

[@highlandstag51]

Followed him for 18 holes at the Scottish Open practice round. Very impressed by him as a gentleman and an ambassador for the sport. Spent more time helping the amateurs with their shots and setup than any other there. Humourous and very well received by the crowd. He may not have won a major but many a pro could benefit from his example.

[@Zug75]

2007 was the highest scored us open and hasnt been challenging since

[@theriksta8319]

In an interview once I heard Monty say that one of his greatest strengths was that he rarely made bogey from the fairway. He was right as in this case he made a double !!!

[@AsifKhan-hf9zy]

double or nothing.........

[@Rubberdaniels2255]

He always kinda sucked

[@richardjw82]

This comment made me laugh

[@carramrod8232]

+4 leader. Love to see it

[@robloxvids2233]

Par is meaningless if the best golfers in the world can't even shoot it. Shave 8 strokes off their score. They like to call par 72 par 70 to sound tougher. Ogilvie -3.

[@CanadianGuitarist]

That's good work by the cameraman and the director there. At 3:44, it looks like a pretty run-of-the-mill bump and run. When they switch to behind him at 3:50, it shows how difficult a shot it actually was.

[@arklowrockz]

Didnt Singh take about 20 minutes to take drop before Monty could play? I remember reading Monty's Manor. he was steamed about that

[@DanielSong39]

To be fair, Ogilvy, Furyk, Harrington, and Mickelson all gagged down the stretch - Ogilvy just happened to run out of holes.

[@ysgol3]

An ambition of mine is to go up to Monty, ask for his autograph, and ask him to write 'What sort of shot was THAT ?' before it. Will I escape alive ?

[@CinemaDemocratica]

Feel bad for the guy. I've always thought that when he lost at Olympic, that was when he really decided to sublet the inside of his head to the you-can't-do-this guy.

[@John-tr6of]

@@CinemaDemocratica He lost the playoff at Oakmont not Olympic.

[@CinemaDemocratica]

@@John-tr6of I remember Monty being in the thick of it on Sunday at Olympic but maybe that's a conflation on my part. Certainly didn't remember it being a playoff -- so that much is consistent.

[@cotegt]

"Colin Montgomerie's finish was tragic. He birdied the 71st hole, snaking in a 60 foot putt for a share of the lead. Then on the final hole, he fatted a 7 iron approach, pitched long and three putted for a double bogey. As it turned out, a par would have won. Geoff Ogilvy took the major instead." - Golf Digest

[@MyMg23]

one of the worst displays in recent times by Monty here-2nd shot was terrible but then the 3 putt? Ouch

[@TheNYgolfer]

Goes to show what Golf Digest knows bout golf..lol He hit that shot perfect. Divot in front of the ball. Problem was he made a last minute choice to go with one less club because as he later explained, he really felt his adrenaline pumping and was worried about going long. Of course in hindsight that was the wrong decision.

[@ricky100593]

Probably not a good sign when a guy starts crying tears of joy because he made a putt to get to one shot back

[@paulmurray9148]

I listened to this on five live in my kitchen I sank to my knees when he missed the green with his second shot of he had won one major more would have followed great golfer

[@rbauer1632]

Monty was in position. This was HIS opportunity. He had the shot that he wanted his entire life. What a crazy outcome for such a clutch ball striker. Choke? Truly a heartbreaker. I would have bet the farm he makes that shot.

[@dbonifant587]

I wonder if he just overthought it. Figured adrenaline would give him extra distance so he clubbed down and instead didn't give himself enough to get it there.

[@SethMacLeod95]

@@dbonifant587I thought he hit it fat

[@AsifKhan-hf9zy]

i think it was all psychological.............. given what a dominating golfer he was, his record in majors was astonishingly abysmal somewhere in the back of his mind, he did nt want to win one........ would just make it worse, all the pain coming back......... definitely something psychological going on there, once he was just a mere three strokes from ACTUALLY winning it........

[@TheReddevil821]

The moat regrettable moment in Monty's life.

[@tomdallas3690]

Destiny was in his fingertips in the fairway. That was the golden moment.

[@Nick_J_]

What this shows you, more than anything, is that Winged Foot is a brutal damn golf course.

[@SiLoMixMaster]

Hopefully we will see that brutality again this weekend for the US open

[@jamesfitzgerald6636]

Bryson will win and shoot 6 under

[@maxcaysey2844]

Best golfer to never win a major. I would have liked for him to have won a British open at some point! He deserved that I feel!

[@azapro911]

Most of Monty's major near-misses involved the winner coming up big at the last moment, but he certainly blew Winged Foot.

[@fs1natra]

all butterflies that day were banned from flapping their wings in case monty was distracted

[@PresidentGas1]

I marshalled a WGC in SF around this time and man did we have a hard time keeping the crowds still enough for him around the tee box. He ripped me a new one on one of the days I remember. His caddy walked by and said to me under his breath .... "don't sweat it man .... he's like this all the time". I felt much better after that.

[@KYExtemper]

This footage still haunts me to this day. As a Montgomerie fan I thought he had this championship when he found the fairway at 18, but when he was in-between clubs I knew it wouldn't turn out well.

[@pb12661]

much like Tom Watson losing The Open championship in 2009. He had it won. It Would have been one of the most epic/unlikely wins in sports history.

[@TheLocalLt]

@@pb12661 the difference is that Watson wasn’t in between clubs and he absolutely flushed it, just got unlucky with the first bounce which Watson himself recognizes is just part of links golf. I think if he could have seen Westwood’s or Cink’s approaches he would have clubbed down, both guys landed it just past the cross-bunker and bounded it past the Parnevik hollow up onto the green

[@COLETHORN10]

The Full Monty

[@lehue3090]

I don't believe it, everyones all over Mickelson for making double bogey because he drove it into the woods but fucking Monty made double from the middle of the FAIRWAY....

[@Nick_J_]

That's the U.S. Open for you. It tests every. Single. Shot.

[@mfdixon1985]

Not exactly apples to apples, though. 1. While Monty would have won with a par and forced a playoff with a bogey, he didn't know it at the time. Phil did. 2. Phil made two huge mental mistakes on his 18th hole. The first was hitting the driver off of the tee when he was off with it all day. The second was being too aggressive on his second shot instead of punching out, essentially guaranteeing a spot in the playoff with a 5 and with his short game, possibly scrambling for par. Monty's mistakes were physical. Mental mistakes are always more heavily criticized.

[@horseplop9]

Gerry Gilrain Haha 2006 Yonnex

[@derekthompson5731]

I remember watching this... was never a Monty fan during the 90s, but was really rooting for him here. I couldn't believe what a hacking CHOKE that was... that was as big of a choke as Mickelson... a lot like Norman at the 86 Masters coming up 18 when he blocked his approach into the crowd. This is just total nerves... he was PERFECT in the fairway. I think he knew "I just need to put this on and two-putt and I've won". Johnny Miller was spot-on when he questioned Monty's club switch at the last minute. "He's had 10 minutes to figure this out"... Mental game... lost it mentally

[@derekthompson5731]

And that putt... ouch... just a string of chokes...

[@robynhyman6749]

That decision to grab a 7 iron at the last minute on 18 was tragic. Easy 6 iron left center, even if it was a little long would have been ok. However he manages to put in the absolute worst spot possible here. It's really still very painful to watch as I was pulling for Montgomerie that day.

[@richat1691]

cant help but think without the 10 minute wait monty would have hit the green . Monty was a fast player, not a choker - his biggest fault was snot adapting to delays/disturbances and crowds etc - it cost him dearly here.

[@Hicks055]

I feel sad for Monty watching this- but it was still a great tee shot.. phoned my brother living in Dublin at the time 'listen- monty's about to oh shit'..

[@RK831]

People say that Phil lost this US Open, but Monty lost it more, being in the fairway to the final green.

[@DanielSong39]

Ogilvy had a 2-stroke lead in the middle of the round and gagged it away with 4 bogeys. He needed to chip in on 17 and get up and down on 18 just to finish at +5. Furyk missed a 5-foot par putt on the last hole to finish at +6. Mickelson made a double bogey at 18 to finish at +6. Harrington was at +4 with 3 holes to go and finished the round with 3 bogeys to finish at +7. Lots of guys collapsed; Ogilvy just happened to have more strokes to play with.

[@TheLocalLt]

DanielSong39 Yeah this was one of the craziest final rounds in golf history no doubt. I remember watching it in disbelief. The funny thing is the greens were actually fairly slow that week due to humidity, if they were running full speed the winning score would have been like +9 or +10

[@gatorcc70]

Greg Norman hit a bad second shot to the right on this hole in the 84 US Open and hit it way long on the third shot but made that miracle putt for par.

[@151bar151]

43 years old, but looks like he's 60

[@Nick_J_]

That par putt was the problem, when you get down to it. He sent it by by what, 15 feet?

[@stephenmacdonald76]

I wish he had won this one, he was convinced he needed a par

[@Mirren81]

If ever Monty could have a moment back in his life...

[@Hicks055]

So gutted when this happened to Monty.. still 7 consecutive order of merit titles is remarkable, 8 in all ensuring he'll be remembered.. not to mention his Ryder Cup play.

[@scratchycoco]

Yip.....many major champions would kill for his career. Massive career that was missing a major. But a better career he has had than most a lot of major champions.

[@grimson]

@@scratchycoco He had an amazing career. But if I had a Major, there's no way I'd trade that for Monty's career. Your name forever on one of the four trophies that matter most tops money-based lists.

[@scratchycoco]

@@grimson....gotta disagree to be honest. Lets take Todd Hamilton for example....he has won a major but is nowhere near as good of a golfer as Monty. For me it's not just the vanity of having my name engraved in history.... it's about consistency and longevity. And that is what Monty had and still has. It's about not struggling to keep your card because you're a consistently good performer year in and year out, doing what you love and earning enormous amounts of money to provide a good life for your family. Some Major winners don't have that because they dropped off the map after winning a major and have financial struggles, etc. So when I look at it from that perspective, Monty's career is far superior to a lot of one time major winners. I will take a great and consistent career without a major any day over a struggling career with one major.

[@CountMackula]

So you say. Not sure about that.

[@continentalrcinglg]

It wasn't his only chance - he was in the 3-man playoff with Els and Loren Roberts at the '94 US Open, and lost to Elkington on the first playoff hole at the '95 PGA.

[@raymondrose1065]

Mrs Doubtfire at his finest

[@Mitjitsu]

This is way worse than Mikelson's blow up. Monty has had many good chances to win majors over the years, but has blown up consistently on final days.

[@mezanine10]

Miller called it right. Monty switched clubs.

[@JackRainfield]

And he rushed it with the new club. Half a practice swing, step up and it even looked like the swing might have been slightly rushed.

[@SiLoMixMaster]

Jack Rainfield Monty always played fast

[@robloxvids2233]

I think he said he decided to club down at the last second bc he thought adrenaline would make him go long.

[@CaribSurfKing1]

Changed club seconds before his approach…after waiting 10 mins….caddie f’d up

[@jmwall24]

Just shows what pressure does to you. As hard as that course was playing and everyone was making a mess of things, play that 2nd shot 20 feet left of the flag and a little past and he has his major. Something he could do in his sleep.

[@stevepising]

The classic non committed swing on the approach shot as he was in between clubs. Someone as experienced as him should know to take the weaker club and hit harder. But then that's why he never won a major. He had the talent to win about 6 but always found a way to lose. This was probably his best chance.Notice the difference in aggression and certainty between his full driver swing on 18 then the approach which was barely 3/4. It's painful to watch now 12 years later. This one must eat him up inside.In fairness to Monty he didn't always choke - he played great in the USPGA against steve elkington but was beaten only by incredible golf.

[@Patriot-rm4du]

He said in an interview somewhere that he switched from a 6 iron to a 7 iron because he thought his adrenaline would cause him to hit it further but instead he caught it heavy

[@TheLocalLt]

stevepising Monty also lost in a playoff at the 94 US Open, plus finished strong in the 92 US Open but had no pressure on him as he started the final round way behind

[@neilfleck4178]

His nerve probably just got the better of him.

[@ltjjenkins]

Same thought cost Watson. Take the 9 iron and mash away- impossible to go long.

[@chineseboy3124]

It's amazing the contrast between the two top comments

[@wildernessuk]

Never seen this before, a right choke. Ok he was great in Ryder cup but its a lot harder when you're on your own. Nevermind...

[@mgoogleuser8011]

"What kind of shot was that?!"

[@chrisshak5216]

The 17th putt was one of the greatest putts in golf history, to take him further into contention. The 17th and 18th: 'Genius/Madness'' from Montgomerie.

[@bustamove898]

10 order of merits. 1 of the best europeans ever.

[@cgasucks]

+Master Blaster89 Yes he ruled the European Tour back in the day but let's face it...he can win tonnes of tournaments around the world but history will judge him by how many majors he wins..

[@cgasucks]

***** Of course don't be stupid (Bronson Pinchot in Beverly Hills Cop)..

[@wullieman]

He was best player in Europe by a mile. So unlucky in a lot of majors. That was only 1 of his heartbreaks . He’s not a hall of famer for nothing

[@yankees162009]

His best chance to win a major by far. All he had to do is hit the green and he wins.

[@chrislw9053]

Blame the lady having her arms. Switch clubs. Fidget some more. Select a wedge even before surveying the lie in the rough. Monty was struggling to breathe as soon as he made the putt on 17. Thought about winning instead of executing process. Major choke. Some guys can't handle it.

[@bradheilman8858]

Monty didn't choke. He just played poorly when the pressure was on.

[@davidsims780]

That's what choke means

[@TheNYgolfer]

To his credit Colin just wasn't his typical self that hole, If he was he would have found someone in the gallery to blame.

[@ronoccc]

Well, he tried that on the tee box tbf

[@casinogeno1]

Monty, the anti hero and one of my favorite golfers. Helluva stick

[@BobbySpringer1]

The Goon from Troon!

[@calumblackmore8377]

Mike Weir? He was Top 10 in the World for ages!

[@pauliedigi]

So brutal... don't forget Furyk missed a short putt at 18 that would have put him in a playoff.

[@Ryandh288]

Oh Monty. A wonderful game, but the worst mental situation

[@sidneygreen9120]

A great sporting moment 😁👍

[@truthlifefishing1730]

My mate had a $100 on Monty to WIN. He was counting the money on while Montgomerie stood on the fairway.

[@raff23]

@yankees162009 ogilivy also got unlucky on the 18th when his ball landed in that drain or divot after what appeared to be the perfect tee shot which than affected his 2nd shot, did very well to scramble a par with clutch putting,.

[@rushrush1209]

Montgomerie blew another major. It couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

[@GaryM67-71]

Did he switch from a 6 to a 7 iron and then try to muscle it in and no surprise it came up short. Very sad for him and those of us who supported him. Happy to see him do so well at Celtic Manor in 2010 and the Belfry in 2002. Sad he played on so many Sabbath days too.

[@CC-rb1yf]

Since Phil was the last golfer, couldve won his 1st US Open and wouldve won 3 straight majors his collapse gets more attention. But Monty had a wonderful drive so really had great chance to get par but blew it. So Monty had worse choke after a great setup. Phil had a poor drive and then after 2nd shot hit a tree, you knew he was done

[@NJDevils015]

Why is he telling a spectator to keep her arms still (at 1:43)? Focus on the shot.

[@derekthompson5731]

There were two massive chokes that day... arguably, this was bigger... Phil was stupidity, plain and simple. Phil blew it by being a moron and committing massive strategic errors. Monty was flat choke... And... Johnny Miller is brilliant as an analyst... he called Monty's club swap before he hit it... "You've had 10 minutes to think about it and you take less club at the last second?" Short and off-line is the result

[@AsifKhan-hf9zy]

could be that he was thinking cool and calm for ten minutes and then when the moment came, he sensed the rush of blood, and clubbed down........... was nt a bad mistake, but a very sensible switch, knowing he had been in THAT SITUATION a hundred times in years past.........

[@derekthompson5731]

@@AsifKhan-hf9zy Yeah, I can totally see that... tough game when the stakes are high. I once putted a 20 foot putt at least 50 feet and off the green when I was selected out of a crowd at random in a charity event to be "closest to the hole" on a putt against three other guys, with the closest having a shot at a 40-foot putt for $10,000. My arms felt like the Hulk had stepped into my body... I tapped it and it flew off the green... and the stimp wasn't that high either. And, I also should say: Monty's putt on #17 could've been known as one of the all-time greatest clutch putts... if he hadn't flubbed on 18. If he had won this US Open, we'd still be talking about that putt on 17

[@07bucchr]

No offence to Monty but i am very glad he messed up because it was good to see an Australian win a major after such a long drought :)

[@tomdallas3690]

Sad sequence. This is my golf example of a player having his legacy in his hands, knowing full well that his legacy was in his hands, and then not coming through. Unfortunate for Monty. Vijay Singh was way left and took like 10 minutes to find his ball and get ready, plus the group ahead of them were taking a while. Chaos Theory, Butterfly effect, etc. Monty hates Vijah Singh because of it, as it threw everything off, but at the end of the day, he blew it. Would have been a lifetime memory of replaying that miracle put on 17, then knocking it to ten feet on 18. Of course Michelson choked as well, but people forget that Ogilvy choked as much as anyone, and he rattled home a chip on 17 that was blowing by and he was going to likely double bogey there (whatever he made, it was going to be two more if he doesn't blast into the pin). Padraig Harrington also choked (and Padraig choked in the British Open that he first won, double bogeying 18, but lucking out). Harrington was so so fortunate in Majors. Furyk choked here, as well, over-analyzing the final par putt on 18. I could go on, but will mercifully cut this short. This was a classic with an underserving winner.

[@Pete-ps4kd]

Baloney. This was a classic with a winner who full well deserved the victory...

[@youngproscia]

I felt bad for Phil, but I felt REALLY HORRIBLE for Monty. Strange how he switched clubs like that . The 6 probably powers him past that crap. Horrible lie for third shot killed him. We love you Minty!

[@yankees162009]

@raff23 I agree Ogilvy hit the shots under pressure to win. Monty though made that huge putt on 17 and hit the hard shot which was the drive on 18. Both were clutch shots. He just had to hit the green/make a par and it would of forced a birdie from Ogilvy and a par from Mickelson for a playoff.

[@chrispalmer9952]

Well done Geoff Ogilvy... 🇦🇺

[@jamescameron204]

Cough Cough Cough!! Choke artist at its finest!

[@irieite9666]

3:31 "Waheeeeeey" lol

[@keiththompson2172]

2:45 that swing would’ve won for Monty

[@jordansiddock5152]

Really thought he had this one. Mickelson was all over the place all day so his collapse wasn't surprising

[@jonathanlynch8372]

What makes it even worse is that the pin was in perfect position for his stock shot of a fade i.e. aim for the middle of the green and worse case scenario is actually an easy two putt it he over cooked it.

[@geraldnapshireii8734]

Wow that was awful. Very sad for that jovial looking melon shaped man

[@raff23]

@yankees162009 he and mickleson were lucky to be in that position in the 1st place, ogilivy went to water for about 4 or 5 holes and gave up a 2 shot buffer he had leaving the 9th. He still had to make clutch shots to give himself a chance and he did, the others didn't, the best man won.

[@ilovethebears1]

10x worse then Mickelson. Mickelson was in the trees Monty was in the middle of the fairway.

[@QMPhilosophe]

cam vieira Mickelson choked his tee shot to get into the trees, then made a van de Velde like decision to hit the "big" shot. Sad all the way around.

[@Than_McDowell]

cam vieira Well how do you think Phil got in the trees? By choking on his tee shot.

[@goldkillah1576]

+Spordan Jieth yeah, but Mickelson hit the hospitality tent and actually bounced closer to the fairway. That would have been out of bounds on some courses.

[@DanielSong39]

Mickelson had a big opening in the trees to the right. Hit a short iron onto the fairway then a wedge or a pitch to the green.

[@goldkillah1576]

***** Ogilvy finished birdie, par and was in the clubhouse before Mickelson. Monty pushing a seven iron from the fairway and making double was putrid. Mickelson hit a wild tee shot, but clearly would have made five at worst if he just played a nine iron down the fairway then a lob wedge into the green.

[@SiLoMixMaster]

I wonder who will choke at Winged Foot this weekend during the US open....my guess is Rory or DJ

[@jamieburgoyne7650]

Really don’t think the wait on 18 helped him at all. Monty liked to get on with it, and as an emotional character at the best of times, he really didn’t need all that time to think before hitting. The last minute club change was definitely the issue, he didn’t commit to the shot.

[@63Baggies]

"walk a mile in a mans shoes"? Remember in order to fail. You have to qualify first...

[@johnfisher747]

Taking lessons from Greg Norman 😩

[@KINGSOWN100]

Great technique, zero guts.

[@Secretarian]

He had multiple opportunities to win the U.S. Open. The table was set for his bread and butter fade into 18. Perfect lie, wind is no factor. And he coughed it up.

[@Kevla74]

He shat it. In a way, being easily the best player ever, not to have won a major, is better than winning one!? Maybe.

[@steverbratt]

So what if he didn’t win a major - There are plenty of golfers who HAVE won a major and done very little else, Mike Wier, Todd Hamilton, Ben Curtis, Lucas Glover... etc etc. Monty was 8 times OOM European Tour, 40 pro wins, winning Ryder Cup Captain, OBE, successful golf course architect! 8 times Ryder Cup player (5 of those on winning side)....so, not a bad career eh!, better than the 9 to 5!

[@ZoeTheCat]

Seems like yesterday. Was very happy Colin bonked. Very sad for Phil though. Phil should have the career slam, but sadly will probably not. Six 2nd places finishes @ US Open - incredible. Who knows - maybe Pinehurst?

[@SiLoMixMaster]

And still we wait, Pebble Beach this year? He won a tournament there a few months ago so it's now or never

[@part1801]

Shouldn't have changed clubs, that was his worst shot of his career.

[@yankeechicken61]

Still losing sleep

[@michaelrosa2015]

He had it going until that approach on 18. Very difficult to watch.

[@tigercairns2416]

What was that smash.........oh it was months bottle

[@LDis1]

He should have won this...

[@jonnyharding3646]

Look I know I'm a no one sitting at home, but as soon as he changed that club he'd made a big mistake, just over thought it.

[@rm1133]

Absolutely, Monty had a wonderful career, BUT, the point you make about players who have won a championship and done little else does not totally relate. EVERY great player of the game of golf has won a major championship. You cannot consider yourself truly GREAT if you never have won a major. Monty was a tremendous player, the best in Europe for years, but I cannot consider one of the best with that major blemish on his CV

[@stevenlowdon7786]

£5 at 250/1, Monty to win. 😢

[@MjKestrel]

Ten minutes delay waiting waiting to hit most important shot in your career is thee biggest factor in the poor shot at 18. O how i miss these days when level par meant you were playing brilliantly rather than today's putting competitions -12, -16, -25 nonsense. From MJK Wales August 2024 age 62. Hi if you're reading 🦅⚪✴️

[@paultracey8857]

The big choker

[@CruceEntertainment]

Should have just went for the middle of the green.

[@harleyboy90210]

Ahhhhhh poor monty!!!

[@grazioli82]

So painful to watch, great guy, wonderful player and would have been the best possible ending to his career. Some thins aren't meant to be