Sandy Lyle digs a hole

Fergus Bisset reports on the 'Sandy versus Monty' row, Lyle having reopened the “Jakartagate” affair involving Colin Montgomerie, which threatens to esculate at this week's Open Championship at Turnberry.

Sandy Lyle

The hole Sandy Lyle has dug by making comments about Colin Montgomerie and the “Jakartagate” affair continues to get deeper.

In a recent interview he was asked if he thought his decision to walk off after nine holes of last year’s Open had had an impact on him not being offered the 2010 Ryder Cup captaincy. "Monty dropped the ball badly and that is a form of cheating," said Lyle with reference to a drop Monty took following a rain delay in the Indonesian Open some years ago. "What he did was far worse."

Sandy has just given a press conference trying to rationalise his comments. Unfortunately, after attempting to say he had nothing against Montgomerie, he went on to refuse to rescind his allegation that Montgomerie had got away with a rules infraction in Indonesia, “That’s something Colin will have to live with forever," he said.

Lyle is sure to be castigated in tomorrow’s press and he probably ought to try and give Monty a fairly wide berth for the rest of the week, there are rumours flying that the big man is spitting feathers.

Perhaps the funniest quote of Lyle’s press conference came when he said it was time for him to “just let his clubs do the talking.”

Where next?   - Turnberry hole-by-hole guide - Latest championship news - Galleries from Turnberry as Woods arrives

Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?