Colin Montgomerie was approached by a security guard as he finished a practice session yesterday and was asked if he would speak to the ''working press'' at the Masters.

''That's two words you don't normally hear together,'' joked the Scot, in jovial mood ahead of his 53rd attempt to win a major championship.

Montgomerie is on his 13th visit to Augusta National, but while admitting the course, firmer than for many years, is ''very, very difficult'' he hopes one thing is working in his favour.

''I've never won so close to the Masters before, so that's good for my confidence,'' said the 40-year-old, who captured the Singapore Masters three weeks ago to climb back into the world's top 50.

After originally planning to stay in the United States to practise last week Montgomerie made a sudden decision to go home and ''chill out''.

He explained: ''I drove my caddie Andy to the airport and when we got there I just thought 'blow it, I'm going as well'.'' He bought a ticket and was back with his family Monday morning.

What practice he did do was at the Wisley club in Surrey, but for putting he feels there is nothing you can do until you are actually at Augusta.

''These greens are unique - there is nothing like them anywhere,'' he said. ''And they're tough however many practice rounds you play on them. Breaking par will be no mean feat the way they are this week.''

Montgomerie has only one top ten finish in the event. That was his eighth place in 1998, but it is the previous year that - so far at least - he is most remembered for.

Second to Tiger Woods at halfway he expressed the hope that his experience could count against a 21-year-old playing his first major as a professional.

Woods, aware of the comment, shot 65 to Montgomerie's 74. The following day, still in shock it appeared, he added an 81 while Woods won by 12 with the lowest total in Masters history.

During his seven years as Europe's number one the attention was a lot more on Montgomerie than it is now with Padraig Harrington seventh in the world and Darren Clarke a winner of two World Championships.

He has not been in the hunt in a major with a round to go since he was second to Ernie Els in the 1997 US Open and has missed the halfway cut in four of the last five and five of the last seven majors. In the previous 21 he missed just two cuts.

* Vijay Singh claims anybody wanting to win the Masters this week needs ''the whole package'' - and he believes he has it.

Singh also has an added incentive for wanting to lift the title for the second time on Sunday. His father, who lives in New Zealand, is in America for the first time in his life and here to watch him.

The 41-year-old Fijian, closing in fast on Tiger Woods at the top of the world rankings, said: ''You can't come here with one part of your game missing. To me this is the hardest test we play.

''The greens are as fast as I've ever seen them, and putting is going to be a key factor. But I'm favouring the longer hitters - the shorter shot you have into the greens the easier it is to stop the ball where you want.

''I'd rather be facing a 20-footer uphill than a six to eight-footer downhill.''

l Thomas Bjorn will go head-to-head with Tiger Woods again in the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday.

The Ryder Cup Dane beat the world number one in the 2001 Dubai Desert Classic after they were paired together all four days.

The other member of the group is 19-year-old US Amateur runner-up Casey Wittenberg.

British amateur champion Gary Wolstenholme partners Tom Watson. Padraig Harrington is paired with world number two Vijay Singh and John Daly