Latest chance lost hurts the most, Montgomerie admits

All Colin Montgomerie had to do, as it turned out, was par the final hole at Winged Foot on Sunday to finally win a major. But, he explained, he "really messed up" when he chose a 7-iron over a 6-iron for his final approach and caught it heavy.

MAMARONECK, N.Y. (PA) -- Colin Montgomerie suffered another heartbreaking near-miss in a major championship in an extraordinary finish to the U.S. Open at Winged Foot on Sunday, and admitted: "I've really messed up."

Australia's Geoff Ogilvy won his first major title after Phil Mickelson, chasing his third major in succession, threw away a one-shot lead with a double-bogey 6 on the 18th.

Montgomerie had also double-bogeyed the 18th from the middle of the fairway when a par 4 would have been good enough for his first major title in his 58th attempt -- and even a bogey would have meant an 18-hole Monday playoff with Ogilvy.

Montgomerie, twice a runner-up in the U.S. Open and third as far back as 1992, was two shots behind Mickelson as he surveyed a curling 50-foot putt on the 17th green.

It looked a tough task even to get down in two for par, but Monty rolled it in for an improbable birdie, just seconds before Mickelson, playing two groups behind, bogeyed the 16th.

The 42-year-old Scot then hit a perfect drive down the 18th, but inexplicably hit a poor approach short of the green. From heavy rough he was only able to pitch to 30 feet and then three-putted for a double-bogey 6 of his own.

Ogilvy then saved par on the 18th to set the clubhouse target, which eventually proved to be enough to win.

Montgomerie was denied victory in 1992 by an inspired final round from Tom Kite, lost a playoff to Ernie Els in 1994 and was second to Els again in 1997.

"It's the first time I've really messed up," he said Sunday evening. "My other chances, other people have done well. This is the first time I've really messed up."

He also revealed he had changed from a 6-iron to a 7-iron for his approach on the 18th.

"I thought adrenaline would kick in, but I caught it slightly heavy and it went right," he said. "It was a poor shot, no question about it, and I put myself in a poor position."

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