Toiling Monty equals his worst score in a major

By Mark Lamport-Stokes

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan (Reuters) - Britain's Colin Montgomerie piled up two double-bogeys en route to matching his worst score in a major with a 14-over-par 84 in the U.S. PGA Championship second round on Friday.

The former European number one struggled on the slick, sloping greens at Oakland Hills Country Club, totaling 37 putts for a 20-over total of 160.

"It's very difficult out there and I made it more so," Montgomerie told reporters after matching the second-worst score in the field of 155.

"I got off to a bad start and kept it going, unfortunately," said the 45-year-old Scot, referring to his outward nine of eight-over 43.

"When you get on a bogey run around here it's very difficult to get off it. The course is very, very severe. It's set up as extremely difficult as any course I've ever played.

"It's nothing like the place that we came and did so well at four years ago."

Montgomerie was one of the top performers for Europe when they crushed the U.S. by a record-equaling margin of 18- points to 9- in the 2004 Ryder Cup at Oakland Hills.

He won three points out of a possible four after holing a six-footer on the 18th green in the singles to secure a one-hole victory over David Toms.

"I holed the same putt as I did four years ago there, that was good on the last green," the 31-times European Tour winner added, referring to his par putt at the last on Friday.

"But it was very, very difficult out there. Most difficult."

Montgomerie matched the 14-over 84 he carded in driving wind and rain in the third round of the 2002 British Open at Muirfield.

"This was my most difficult day since my poor score at Muirfield in 2002 but the conditions (then) added to that one," he said. "Unfortunately, it was a reasonably good day today."

(Editing by Ed Osmond)