Colin Montgomerie wins in Japan

Colin Montgomerie is back in the winner’s circle as he clinches the Japan Airlines Championship.

The Japan Airlines Championship is the first PGA Tour Champions event ever held in Japan, and Monty shot a final round 5 under 67 to beat Billy Mayfair and Scott McCarron by a single shot.

It was Monty’s first return to the winner’s enclosure since he beat Scott McCarron last September in a playoff at the Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship in Canada, which he will defend next week.

Monty was laid up with torn ligaments this spring, but now he is starting to find his old game and his putter was red hot.

"I'm just beginning to play the way that I have the last three years," Montgomerie said.

He birdied four of the first five holes on the back nine, having played the front nine in even par, with a single birdie and bogey to even things up.

"It wasn't easy," Montgomerie said. "The wind was swirling in the trees, the pins were located in some very difficult positions, very difficult, right on the edges of the greens on slopes.

Fastastic, Superb from Monty

"I think when I holed the putt on the 14th hole for my third birdie in a row, I felt that I had a chance then," Montgomerie said. "I'm a big scoreboard watcher and knew I was leading. I just had to make sure I birdied 17 and par in, which I did."

Monty was also full of praise for the greens:

"The greens were as good as any, and I mean this, as good as any as we have ever putted on, ever," Montgomerie said. "And we've putted on some great, great surfaces. In the 30 years as a pro, these are as good as any we have putted on as a putting surface. Superb putting surfaces. And the way the course was manicured was exceptional."

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