Monty and Mickelson put US Open blow-ups in perspective

Two weeks after the mayhem, the US Open therapy started for real on either side of the channel yesterday for Colin Montgomerie and Phil Mickelson. For the former this involved learning that finishing with a six is not always a disaster and for the latter that he still has the talent to sign off in style.

First to the K Club, where reporters expected Montgomerie to be furious after closing with a bogey after a visit to the water left him four off the European Open pace. Not so, the big Scot was perspective personified, after a trip to Wimbledon last week.

"I like to watch really great players and see how they react to hitting a bad shot," he said. "The great ones, like [Roger] Federer, don't let it affect them at all. I'm trying to do the same. It's OK to get a yellow card but I've got to stay away from the red ones."

Mickelson's day was similarly cathartic after he hit a driver 333 yards down the last fairway at the Western Open in Chicago and his 274-yard approach to five feet to cap off a thrilling 67. One off the early lead, Mickelson was back in the mix and back on his horse.

Speaking about his US Open blow-up, Mickelson said: "I think the biggest thing is I don't want the one hole to affect my play in the next couple of majors."