DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

Past Results: 2005
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2005 Gallery

Colin Montgomerie wins the Dunhill

It may have taken 20 years but Colin Montgomerie finally consummated his relationship with the Home of Golf as he won the 2005 Dunhill Links Championship and captured the £450,000 first prize.

The immensely popular Scot pipped England’s Kenneth Ferrie by a shot after a nerve-jangling contest on the home stretch which saw him use every ounce of experience he has acquired from playing the Old Course over the years to claw back a five-shot deficit.

Monty was in no doubt that his familiarity with the famous links enabled him to keep his nerve over the final few holes to shoot a 71 and post a nine under par four-round total of 279. “It’s no criticism of Kenneth but I have more experience of playing this course than he has. That’s what won it for me. I knew that if I could find my way safely round Kingsbarns and Carnoustie I could come here with confidence that I could do something.”

So it proved as Monty, who had equalled the course record with a 65 in the face of blustery weather conditions in the second round, came in to the final round at the Old Course needing something special to capture his first title on Scottish soil since winning the 1999 Scottish Open.

As Ferrie slumped to a five-over 77, Monty plotted a steady route round the course to close the gap. By the 18th he was level and, while Ferrie could only par the hole, Monty sank a two-and-half foot birdie putt to claim the title.

Ferrie finished second on eight under one ahead of a strong pack of contenders on seven under, Robert Karlsson, Anders Hansen, Padraig Harrington, and Henrik Stenson. Stephen Gallacher, the 2004 champion, mounted a robust defence of his title to finish one shot further back on six under.

The win gained valuable Ryder Cup points for Monty and put him in contention for an eighth European Order of Merit title.

The team competition, in the fifth year of its current format, was won by the Swede Henrik Stenson and his playing partner South African stockbroker Rurik Gobel with a 29 under par total of 259.

The championship attracted large galleries to the Old Course for the final round as the likes of actor Michael Douglas and sports stars Jonathan Edwards, Peter Schmeichel and Andrew Strauss played alongside the pros.