BBC SPORT | Golf | The Open | Monty slumps to new low

Colin Montgomerie went from ecstasy to agony on an incredible third day of the Open championship at Muirfield.

A day after his lowest-ever Open round of 64, the Scot slumped to a 13-over-par 84, his worst-ever in the Open by eight shots.

It was the joint biggest variation between two rounds in championship history, equalling the 20-stroke difference between RG French's second round 71 and third round 91 in 1938.

Brilliant Monty sets new record

It left the 39-year-old nine over par for the tournament and one shot off last place, after starting the day just two off the lead.

He had labelled his opening 74 "awful", and claimed he would be struggling just to make the cut.

Less than 24 hours and a change of clubs later, he roared back into contention with a course record 64 and suddenly he was filled with more optimism about his chances.

The former European number one made a steady start to his third round amidst the worst of the weather with three pars, but that was cancelled out immediately by three successive bogeys.

Things started to go awry on the par three fourth after finding a greenside bunker.

Colin Montgomerie
Monty battled with the elements at Muirfield
On the next hole he found the rough off the tee and appeared to have a dreaded "shank", the ball scuttling across the fairway into more trouble.

From there he hacked onto the fairway and needed to hit a driver for his fourth shot, drilling it onto the green and doing well to two-putt from long range for a six.

A fairway bunker brought more trouble on the next and he needed to hole from 35 feet.

But there was no such escape on the eighth where he ran up another six.

A par five on the ninth saw him reach the turn in 41 which was bad enough, but worse was to follow despite a slight improvement in the weather conditions.

A further double bogey on the tenth was followed by three bogeys in succession and three more to finish.

Montgomerie was understandably less than keen to discuss his nightmare day afterwards.

The Scot had seen another chance for that ever elusive major title slip away.

Time is running out to rid himself of the unfortunate tag he shares with Phil Mickelson of `best player not to have won a major'.