Montgomerie keen to put nightmare behind him

Colin Montgomerie is desperate to defend his Volvo Scandinavian Masters title after going back on his decision to miss this event, which starts here today.

Montgomerie shot a course-record 64 in the second round of the Open at Muirfield, but then suffered a dreadful round 84 on the Saturday, and, after closing with a 75, said: "I've pulled out of tournaments for the next two weeks. I can't handle it any more."

The 39-year-old Scot would have missed the trip to Sweden but changed his mind last week. He is now keen to win a fourth Scandinavian Masters title, the only one he still holds.

Montgomerie took a week's holiday on a boat off the coast of Naples with his family last week and said: "I needed to recharge the batteries, they were pretty low. I thought about taking three weeks off but I felt if I was going to do well in the USPGA I have to play golf.

"I've never taken three weeks off and then gone into a major so I thought I would play here and try to defend. There is no better way to go into two large tournaments in America than off the back of a win. The two tournaments in Ireland, one of which I was defending, and then Loch Lomond and the Open, there is not a worse month for pressure and expectation and everything that goes with it."

A week of relaxation and indulgence will not have helped his attempts to lose weight to aid his ailing back. But Montgomerie knows he has to follow doctors' orders to keep playing at the top level and avoid an operation.

"I'm not that healthy right now, every week is a bonus if I do play," he said. "It's a day by day thing and I have to see about it at the end of the year.

"I was told to lose 35lb and I've only lost 15lb. Losing that 20lb is possibly the difference between having an operation or not.

"Unfortunately it's very difficult on tour. We eat at different times so it's very difficult to have a routine."

Montgomerie has won at least two tournaments every year since 1993, but it is 12 months since he scraped to a one-shot victory over Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter in Malmo.