Colin Montgomerie has signalled his intention to quit playing tournaments in the US after this season, saying he's had enough of the heckling and disrespectful attitudes of fans Stateside. The former European number one was jeered during his first-round defeat to Scott McCarron at the World Match Play Championships in California earlier this week and he now believes playing in the US is simply not worth the hassle.
"I'm on my last legs over here. I'm 39 in June and I don't need this any more. I've got commitments until the end of the season that I will fulfil – but that will be it. It's quite clear to me that there will never be a level playing field when I play over here," Montgomerie told the Daily Mail newspaper.
"No disrespect to Scott, but a first-round match against him is about as low-key an occasion as you can get in America - and I still got heckled. Can you imagine what it would be like if I was one clear with two to play in a major championship?
"Why not concentrate on playing in Europe, where people like and respect me? Why not be near my family? What can I possibly hope to achieve over here if spectators don't allow me to compete on the same terms as everybody else. It's hard enough as it is to take on Tiger Woods, Sergio Garcia and the rest - I can't do it if I have always got one hand tied behind my back," he said.
Filed by Tom Grealis
