Monty walks 6000 miles to reach 500th tournament milestone

I’ve been watching European Golf for many years now and I admit I often find it more enjoyable to watch than the regular PGA. When I tell people that, they think I’m crazy or even unpatriotic, but it’s true. And it’s because of the “characters” that play “over there”, on and off the course.

First, there’s Renton Laidlaw – not a better or more enjoyable voice on the Golf Channel when it comes to tournament coverage. I wish he covered the PGA.

Then there are the players. Oh sure, we’ve got our Boo Weekleys over here, but when it comes to the memorable characters of golf worldwide, you need to look at the European Tour. Sevi, Sergio, Stenson, Monty…these guys are the ones you love to watch, hate, laugh at, admire and tease. I love them all!

This weekend is a major milestone for my favorite Scotsman, Colin Montgomerie — Monty will be playing his 500th tour event at the Andalucian Open. I read that if you added up all the fairways he’s walked in the past 20 years, he would have made it to China. WOW!

Now while this reporter at the Daily Mirror below considers that playing Jimenez’s tournament, a “fall from grace”, I’m pretty excited about it. As much as I joke about Monty’s hot temper and grumpy nature, those are the characteristics that make him both hateable and loveable at the same time.

When Monty smiles, he lights up the TV. When he growls, it’s time to take cover. I’ve heard that Monty hates to lose more than he loves to win. With that attitude, no wonder he’s filmed with a grimace more often than a smile.

Anyway, I saw this interview with Monty about his 500th tour event this weekend and thought you might enjoy it too.

For those of you who aren’t yet “fans” of Monty on Facebook, I’ll share with you his golfing career in numbers.

499 – Number of European Tour events as a professional (before this weekend)

31 – Number of European Tour International Schedule victories. (A record for a British player)

8 – Number of times he has finished European Tour Number One. (1993-99, 05) Number of holes-in-one. (Both European Tour records)

182 – Number of European Tour top ten finishes – a European Tour record

421 – Number of events he has been in the money from his 499 European Tour events

4 – Number of times he has won The European Tour Golfer of the Year award – 1995, 96, 97, 99 (A European Tour record)

13 – The number of European Tour course records he has amassed – a European Tour record

60 – Lowest European Tour round at the 2005 Indonesia Open

6 – Most European Tour wins in a season in 1999 – (equals The European Tour record)

10 – Number of consecutive years with a victory between 1993-2002 inclusive

260 – His lowest 72 hole total in a European Tour event on his way to winning the European Masters in 1996

18 – Number of years between his first and latest victory – the 1989 Portuguese Open and the 2007 European Open

2 – Number of albatrosses recorded

13 – Number of different destinations his 31 European Tour wins have come in.

14 – The number of years he has finished inside the top ten of The Order of Merit

9 – Number of times he has recorded multiple victories in the same European Tour season

1 – Number of wire-to-wire victories on The European Tour – at the 2001 Irish Open. First European Tour event as a professional at the 1987 European Masters

54 – The event number of his first European Tour victory – the 1989 Portuguese Open

11 – His biggest victory margin in a European Tour event – the 1989 Portuguese Open

3 – The only player to win three consecutive BMW Championship titles between 1998-2000

1,722 – Total number of European Tour rounds played from his 499 events

121,525 – Total number of strokes taken from his 499 European Tour events

1,597 – Total number under par for his 499 European Tour events as a professional

70.60 – Career stroke average on The European Tour from his 499 events

€23,639,775 – European Tour Official Career earnings from his 499 events – a European Tour record

€47,374 – The average amount earned per tournament from his 499 played

€13,728 – The amount earned per round from his 499 played

€194 – The amount earned per shot from his 499 played

Now…after seeing this impressive list, is it really all that important that he hasn’t won a major? Not to me, it isn’t. Monty IS a legend and not just in his own mind. These numbers speak for themselves.

I can’t wait to watch Colin captain the 2010 Ryder Cup team. I love Colin Montgomerie and I’m not afraid to say it. He’s more than just a great golfer- he’s a personality.

And…. he’s got one of the best grins in golf I’ve ever seen.

Golfgal

Monty’s off his stroke

Daily Mirror
25 Mar 2009

COLIN MONTGOMERIE’S 500th appearance on the European Tour takes place this week away from the spotlight in the humble Andalucian Open. Talk about a fall from grace. Monty has been playing golf so long that he remembers when one under par was a birdie,…read more…