BBC SPORT | Golf | Fota form makes Monty favourite

Colin Montgomerie is looking to continue his rich vein of form when the Murphy's Irish Open tees off on Thursday at Fota Island in Cork.

The seven-times number one has finished in the top four in his last four starts in Europe.

And, although he missed the cut by a shot at the US Open a fortnight ago, the Scot starts as favourite for a tournament he has already won three times.

Monty's Major misery

Montgomerie led from start to finish at Fota last year.

He spreadeagled the field with a first-round 63 and went on to win by five strokes from Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Niclas Fasth.

This year, Clarke and Harrington will again head the home challenge.

Padraig Harrington is in good form
Padraig Harrington leads the home challenge
Clarke won the Smurfit European Open last season but it is 20 years since John O'Leary was the last Irishman to taste victory in this event.

And the absence of Paul McGinley weakens the hosts' chances of bridging that gap.

The Dubliner has decided to rest after poor recent form and misses the tournament for the first time since turning professional in 1991.

Clarke and Harrington are both in good form, however.

Surprise win

The Ulsterman picked up his first win of the season at the English Open earlier in June while Harrington finished joint seventh at Bethpage, his second top 10 finish of the year in major championships.

Seven members of the current European Ryder Cup team are taking part, with Lee Westwood, Thomas Bjorn, Philip Price and Fasth joining Montgomerie, Clarke and Harrington in Cork.

Volvo PGA Champion Anders Hansen plays for the first time since his surprise win at Wentworth a month ago and Seve Ballesteros is also back in action.

The Spaniard, who shares the record of three Irish Open wins with Montgomerie, Nick Faldo and Bernhard Langer, will be hoping that his return to Ireland brings about a change in form.

Ballesteros has made just one cut all year and has not played since the Spanish Open two months ago.

Montgomerie takes 2001 title

Among the sponsor's invitations is American veteran Fred Funk.

The 46-year-old, who has career earnings in excess of $9m, embarks on a three-week run in Europe in the lead-up to next month's Open Championship at Muirfield.


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