Colin Montgomerie does not appear to be a man carrying the weight of a nation's sporting expectation on his broad shoulders.

The 38-year-old veteran of five Ryder Cup campaigns has enjoyed an almost unchallenged stranglehold on the Volvo European Order of Merit crown over the past decade, including a staggering seven successive titles from 1993 to 1999.

Yet like Jimmy White in the World Snooker Championship and Tim Henman at Wimbledon, Monty has been unable to satisfy the British sporting public's desire to see one of their own lift the biggest prize of all.

So far in an otherwise glittering career, the four major tournaments of The US Masters, US Open, US PGA and perhaps the biggest, The Open, have all eluded him.

Three near misses in the US Open (two runners-up spots and a third place) in the last 10 years and a play-off defeat to Steve Elkington in the US PGA of 1995, are the closest he has come so far to reaching his personal Holy Grail.

With extensive success in some of the largest other competitions in the golfing world such as the World Matchplay and the Volvo PGA, it is strange that fate has contrived to deny him in the majors.

But Montgomerie is far from the bitter, dour professional that television would have us believe and still believes he has as good a chance as ever to lose the tag of the best golfer never to win a major.

During his recent visit to promote Bournemouth's fabulous Open Golf Centre, the affable Scot took time to talk exclusively to the Daily Echo and it wasn't long before the burning question arose.

"You fellows in the media seem to be more hung up about the fact I haven't won a major than I do," he shrugged with a broad smile.

"If it happens, it happens. But if it doesn't, then I can always look back and say I had a great career anyway."

Had he been asked that same question five or six years ago, some suggest the old Montgomerie may not have been so good humoured with his response.

But his laid-back demeanour and a reduced playing schedule could ultimately be helping him achieve that final piece of the jigsaw he must secretly crave.

He said: "I am not playing as much as I used to but that is making sure that when I do play, I play better than I was before.

"As well as that, I am involved in a lot of other things now. I have my work at this superb facility, course design, inner city work in Scotland as well as my golf so I have a lot going on. I am pretty busy. I cannot play tournament golf all the time simply because I have to find time to fit it all in and give myself the best possible chance of winning."

In the eyes of many, that chance of winning is diminished simply by the emergence of Tiger Woods as the undisputed king of the golfing jungle.

But the Scot countered: "I don't think Tiger Woods is invincible at all. I believe the US Masters was his second win of the year and he had played eight times at that point, so it shows he is not totally invincible.

"Augusta suits him down to the ground whereas the US Open course, which is the next major, will give others a chance who are not as long off the tee as him."

And could this be the year for Monty to bring home the top prize?

With another grin he said: "Sure, why not? I wouldn't bother entering if I didn't think I was going to win every time."