Colin Montgomerie was never able to win a major or collect a regular PGA Tour title, but he is finding life on the other side of 50 much easier in the United States.
He just won his second senior major championship of the year at the U.S. Senior Open at Oak Tree National Club in Edmond, Oklahoma.
Montgomerie won 31 titles as a member of the European Tour and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame last year. He was a member of eight Ryder Cup teams and was the captain when the Europeans won the cup in 2010.
He turned 50 years old in June, 2013. He played in 10 events last year on the Champions Tour and earned $322,000 with three top-10 finishes.
He was unsure how he would be received by the other players on the Champions Tour, but he was universally accepted, totally enjoyed the experience and announced at the end of 2013 that he would play a full Champions Tour schedule this season.
Montgomerie started the tournament in the lead by firing a first round six-under-par 65. He posted 71-74 on Friday and Saturday and began the final round four shots behind the leader, Gene Sauers.
While Sauers struggled to a two-over-par 73 on Sunday, Montgomerie fired a two-under-par 69 that left both men tied at five-under-par after regulation play.
A three-hole playoff ensued and Montgomerie prevailed.
This is the second Champions Tour win for Montgomerie and his second senior major title. He won the Senior PGA Championship last month at Harbour Shores in Benton Harbor, Michigan.
This win will move him past Jay Haas in the Charles Schwab Cup points race and he now trails only Bernhard Langer.
Langer was among the leaders after 54 holes at the U.S. Senior Open, but a final round six-over-par 77 moved him down to T-9.
David Frost and Woody Austin finished tied for fourth at one-under-par.
Jeff Sluman, Vijay Singh and Marco Dawson all finished at even-par and tied for fifth.
The Champions Tour will take next week off before moving to Wales for the Senior Open Championship.
Montgomerie is from Scotland and should feel right at home at Porthcawl Golf Club.
He has to be one of the favorites to win his third major championship of the season in two weeks at the Senior Open Championship.