Colin Montgomerie is looking forward to playing in Shanghai

"I'm having a particularly barren spell just now, but I'm not particularly worried," said the 42-year-old Scot.

"It's early season and I will get through it.

"I'm just not holing enough putts at the moment. The hole might be as big as a bucket for some people but not for me right now."

Monty failed to make the weekend's play at Augusta after carding rounds of 74 and 75 to finish five over par.

But the eight-time European Order of Merit winner was philosophical as he prepared for the BMW Asian Open in Shanghai next week.

I'm looking forward to getting the putting going again on slightly slower greens Colin Montgomerie

"To make it a bucket again, I just have to get some confidence back again," he said.

"It's 100% mental rather than physical. I know how to swing a golf club.

"Unfortunately, it's believing I can do it. I'm not preoccupied with anything else. I'm very focused on what I'm doing.

"When you hole seven in a row, you believe the eighth is going to go in.

"When you miss seven in a row, you are not very confident you are going to make the eighth.

"I was hitting decent iron shots into greens at Augusta. But, whereas other players were holing putts, I wasn't. What chance have I got?

"I made three birdies all week, two of those were tap-ins. So I only holed one putt in 36 holes and that's not enough.

"Therefore, you get the Saturday flight home and not the Sunday flight. But we fight on.

"I'm off to Shanghai this weekend and I'm looking forward to getting the putting going again on slightly slower greens, which will give me more confidence to hit the ball harder.

"If I hit the ball harder, it's amazing how many more go in."

However, Montgomerie admits he will feel better when the tour moves away from Asia and back to Europe next month.

"It helps that I'm more comfortable back at home. If you are comfortable in an environment you play better," he added.