IT wasn't quite checkmate, but on yesterday's form Colin Montgomerie is just a few moves away after an exhilarating round of golf over the Old Course that he likened to a game of chess.
"I'm very comfortable around this course in any conditions, " said the 42-year-old Scot after his record-equalling sevenunder-par 65, played in winds gusting up to 40mph causing balls to oscillate on the green, not far short of suspending play, and lasting almost six hours.
"I know what to do and so does my caddie [Alistair McLean]. We can play chess with this course now and we can get around it. That's what I did today. I hit the ball in the right place. When I had to be big, I was big. When I had to be short, I was short. We did exactly the right thing. We did well today."
Montgomerie was delighted, as he had every right to be after a performance that his amateur partner, Michael Douglas, star of films including Basic Instinct and Fatal Attraction, described as awesome.
The 42-year-old Scot surged from 25th place overnight into a clear lead after the first six holes, which he played into a left-to-right wind in six under par, starting with three straight birdies, a par, an eagle and another birdie.
"That was probably the greatest experience I have had since I have been involved in golf, " said Douglas. "To be on the same playing field as some of the best golfers in the world and watching Colin go six under after six and shoot 65 in these conditions was an absolute joy."
Montgomerie offered a more measured assessment of the significance of a round that gives him hope of rising from No.4 on the European Tour order of merit to within striking distance of his eighth crown, belief that he can make next year's Ryder Cup team, and the prospect of another rise in the world rankings. "It's a big week for these three reasons, " he said.
The money is not bad either, GBP450,000 going to the winner.
His score was 8.5 fewer than the average for the Old Course yesterday, and by that yardstick Montgomerie considered yesterday the best golfing day he had ever had. He was playing with fellow Ryder Cup player, Paul McGinley, and another American actor, Kyle MacLachlan. None dared to make a comment after six holes.
"They were too wise, " said Montgomerie. "In different conditions something might have been said. If it was a fair day and you were six under after six you would have had the opportunity of doing something. Not today. I was happy to get in without making a bogey and just one more birdie coming in. That was very difficult."
He made a great save at the 17th, where he overshot the green and made an up-anddown from the blaes pathway with a chip and 15-foot putt before that lost opportunity at the last. Montgomerie has been playing the Old Course for 17 years as a professional, but he said he hadn't reached this level of compatibility until this year's Open, when he was runner-up to TigerWoods.
"That gave me confidence and a positive frame of mind starting the event, " he said. "I used to make mental errors but not any more."
It remains to be seen if he can keep it up. Montgomerie visits Kingsbarns today and then, barring an unthinkable disaster, returns to the Old Course tomorrow.
Montgomerie was one clear of England's Kenneth Ferrie, the European Open champion, who had a 68 at Carnoustie yesterday to follow his opening 68 at Kingsbarns, with two others, the Argentine Ricardo Gonzalez and Pierre Fulke, the former Ryder Cup player, a further shot adrift.
Four other Scots are within the top 60 and ties who will contest the final round. Sam Torrance fell back to two under after a 74 at Kingsbarns and he was in 28th place, one stroke better than Raymond Russell, Scott Drummond and Gary Orr, who were 42nd.
Holder Stephen Gallacher must go well under par at Kingsbarns today to survive after a 73 at St Andrews that left him three over, but it looks like mission impossible for another Scottish winner here, Paul Lawrie, who is seven over with Carnoustie to come.
Mind you, he came from 10 behind on the final day there in 1999 to win the Open. Never say never.
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