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Montgomerie withdraws from Players'

26/07/2006

Colin Montgomerie has risked incurring the wrath of European Tour chiefs by pulling out of this week's £2.5 million Deutsche Bank Players' Championship at Gut Kaden in Hamburg.

The 43-year-old Scot endured the disappointment of missing the cut in the British Open championship at Hoylake last week and has said he is in need of a break from competition.

In a statement to tournament organisers, he said he did not want to be "in a competitive environment, preferring to spend time practising elements of his game which need attention".

European Tour officials are unlikely to look too kindly on Montgomerie's decision, however, as it comes four days after the usual deadline to withdraw. A fine of £500 could be imposed on the eight-time European Order of Merit champion.

Montgomerie, currently ranked 15th in the world, is not overly in need of competition points as he sits a comfortable second in the European Ryder Cup rankings, behind only David Howell, and fifth in the European Order.

There is still a top-class field assembling for this week's event with last year's champion Niclas Fasth returning and Retief Goosen, the world number five, the highest ranked player.

Sergio Garcia, fifth in the Open on Sunday and the world number nine, is also competing as are English stars Luke Donald and Howell.

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