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Montgomerie: Complaint

Five hours is an hour too long. There's no reason why we can't get round any course anywhere in the world in any conditions in four.

Colin Montgomerie
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For the second time in a fortnight Colin Montgomerie has complained about slow play after climbing through the field in the Irish Open on Friday.

In a round lasting almost five hours Montgomerie posted a three under par 69, lifting him to level par, six strokes behind French rookie Michael Lorenzo-Vera.

Two weeks ago Montgomerie, who whose 88th position on the world rankings is his worst since 1990, accused others' slow play of damaging his game. And on Friday he called for tough measures to speed things up.

"Golf's got too slow," said the 44-year-old Scot. "That's my bugbear in life.

"Five hours is an hour too long. There's no reason why we can't get round any course anywhere in the world in any conditions in four.

"The deterrents have got to be tougher - that works in any walk of life. If there is a serious one it's amazing how quick it could be.

"I think we are all working together on it and it's a matter of trying to get it all together and try to make it fair for everybody."

England's Simon Khan was fined £8,000 at the 2005 Irish Open for taking 16 seconds too long over a shot, a week after being handed a £4,000 fine.

And last month the issue was back in the news when eventual winner Trevor Immelman and American Brandt Snedeker took five hours 10 minutes to play the last round at Augusta.

Montgomerie looked in danger of missing the halfway cut when he resumed on three over par at Adare Manor on Friday.

But he made four birdies in what he believes is the best he has played in years, his only bogey coming as a result of a clubbing error

"Apart from that I played very well," he added. "And that's the way I used to play golf. I've been working hard and that was super."