Golf: Monty cuts Californian nightmare

MOST people like having weekends off. But not professional golfers - and certainly not Colin Montgomerie this weekend.

Montgomerie confidently expected to be participating in the final two rounds of the Nissan Open in Los Angeles, his first tournament of the season.

But six hours after finishing his second round on four over par yesterday the Scot discovered it was not good enough to survive.

Monty surrendered meekly, shooting 75-71 over the first two days and missing the cut by one.

"People don't realise that when you're abroad and you miss the cut it's a long time before you play again," he said.

"What am I going to do, if I am not here? Chip and putt in the hotel room? I can't go to the range, I'll get thrown off because I am not competing."

A week after thumping Phil Mickelson in San Diego, Tiger Woods hopes that familiarity at Riviera Country Club will give him the edge despite still being six shots behind leader Charles Howell III.

"It is a tournament that I've always wanted to win just because it is right down the road from where I grew up," said Woods.

"This is where it all started for me. I have some great memories."Leading scores: 134 Charles Howell III 69 65; 135 Nick Price (Zimbabwe) 68 67; 136 Len Mattiace 69 67; 138 Rich Beem 73 65; 139 Stephen Ames (Trinidad) 70 69, K.J. Choi (South Korea) 70 69, David Duval 69 70, Duffy Waldorf 70 69, Fred Funk 65 74; 140 Aaron Baddeley (Australia) 69 71, Mike Weir (Canada) 72 68, Corey Pavin 72 68, Tiger Woods 72 68, Stewart Cink 73 67, Bob Estes 69 71, Hidemichi Tanaka (Japan) 72 68. British scores: 145 Darren Clarke 71 74; 146 Colin Montgomerie 75 71; 147 Luke Donald 72 75.

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