Golf: Montgomerie made to pay for short-iron shortcomings

THERE are two theories about the US Players Championship. One is that is it is the perfect warm up for the US Masters the week after next. The other is that the title, and the $720,000 (pounds 480,000) first prize, is worth winning in its own right.

Colin Montgomerie firmly subscribes to the latter view but achieved neither when he missed the cut for the second time in four weeks. For a player who had not missed a cut for 19 months, since the 1996 USPGA, that is a serious matter.

When Bernhard Langer, who had never previously missed the cut at Sawgrass, starts with a triple bogey and has a double three holes later in an opening 80, you know things are going somewhat array. Langer's 71 yesterday was never going to be good enough to qualify for the weekend, and neither was Montgomerie's second 74.

"It is very frustrating not to perform the way you feel you should and how you are hitting the ball," said Europe's No 1. "I shouldn't be missing the cut. I put myself in perfect position but didn't take advantage."

His feelings were evident from the way the logo on top of his visor was pushed firmly forward as he walked down the fairways. At the fourth, his approach spun back into a tuft of rough by the edge of the water and when he took three to get down the ball was delivered at velocity into the pond.

His three bogeys on the front nine further depressed the Scot, but the damage had been done on Thursday when he dropped five shots in five holes. The primary cause of his problems was his short-iron play,which left him to far from the pin or even off the green. Finding the water on Thursday at the 132-yard 17th, when hitting a nine-iron, was the nadir of his two days.

It cannot be encouraging for Montgomerie that Augusta National, the home of the Masters, will also test that area of his game. "I feel confident hitting the ball off the tee, but scoring is another thing," he said. "I haven't done that this week or at Augusta in the past. Augusta is not one of my favourite venues."

A more phlegmatic character may have qualified in any case and Lee Westwood has now made the cut in seven successive American tournaments. The 24- year-old was three over par at the turn but an inward 34 with two birdies and an eagle at the 16th assured him of a further two rounds play.

Per-Ulrik Johansson, at one under, also made the cut with his compatriot Jesper Parnevik, one short further behind, mainly thanks to sheer determination.

Still, Johansson trailed six behind the early clubhouse leaders Lee Janzen and Joe Ozaki. Janzen, who won the tournament in 1995, scored a 67, to be one ahead of Tom Kite, the American Ryder Cup captain at Valderrama. Kite, now spectacle-less after laser surgery on his eyes, returned a six-under 66 after starting with four birdies in a row.

"This was the kind of round I have been waiting for," said the 48-year- old former US Open champion. "I had a wonderful time being captain of the Ryder Cup team. But, yes, I am glad it is over. It was a busy couple of years. It took a lot of time away from my golf and my family, which are two things I treasure. I am glad to get back to normal now."

There was more excitement at the island green of the 17th when a seagull picked up Brad Fabel's ball and dropped it into the water. The American was allowed to place a new ball where the old one had first come to rest but bogeyed the hole anyway. "I've played a lot of golf and never seen that," Fabel said. "I've seen a dog pick balls up but never a bird."

PLAYERS' CHAMPIONSHIP (Sawgrass, Ponte Vedra, Fla) Leading early second- round scores (US unless stated): 137 L Janzen 70 67. 138 J Ozaki (Japan), T Kite 72 66. 139 G Day 66 73, J Kelly 68 71, B Lietzke 69 70. 140 S Gump 72 68, L Mattiace 69 71, D Frost (SA) 69 71, J Maggert 69 71, R Mediate 67 73. 141 J Leonard 72 69. 142 P Mickelson 69 73, T Lehman 72 70, S Hoch 73 69, S Verplank 71 71, K Triplett 71 71, N Henke 69 73, P Goydos 72 70, K Sutherland 72 70, J Sindelar 73 69. 143 D Barron 71 72, O Uresti 72 71, B Tway 72 71, V Singh (Fiji) 72 71, P Stewart 72 71, P-U Johansson (Swe) 69 74. 144 M Calcavecchia 69 75, J Parnevik (Swe) 72 72, D Hart 74 70, S McCarron 72 72. 145 L Rinker 72 73, M Wiebe 76 69, B Chamblee 72 73, B Henninger 73 72, M O'Meara 70 75, D Love 73 72. 146 J M Olazabal (Sp) 72 74, G Waite (NZ) 76 70, D Duval 69 77, L Mize 73 73, D Hammond 71 75. 147 S Appleby (Aus) 72 75, W Wood 73 74, M Reid 74 73, B Fabel 75 72. 148 D Edwards 73 75, C Pavin 75 73, D Pooley 75 73, D Ogrin 74 74, R Black 70 78, C Perry 72 76, C Montgomerie (GB) 74 74. 149 N Lancaster 76 73, T Tolles 77 72, K Perry 74 75, S Lowery 71 78, L Roberts 75 74, P Tataurangi (NZ) 75 74, S Lyle (GB) 74 75. 150 J Adams 74 76, J Sluman 74 76. 151 B Langer (Ger) 80 71. 152 A Magee 71 81, P Jordan 73 79. 153 D Clarke (GB) 74 79, S Simpson 75 78, M Christie 81 72.