Colin Montgomerie
IN PHOTO: Colin Montgomerie of Britain watches his shot from the third tee during the first round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic at the Emirates Golf Course in Dubai February 9, 2012. REUTERS/ Nikhil Monteiro

Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie won the 2015 Senior PGA Championship crown by four shots on Sunday at French Lick, Indiana to earn his third major title in the over-50 division. He also became the first player since American Hale Irwin, who won the senior crown from 1996 to 1998, to defend the title.

The 51-year-old Scot won the 2014 Senior PGA at Harbor Shores in Michigan and the 2014 US Senior Open last season.

"It was a difficult position to be in at the start of the day, being three ahead," Montgomerie said in the tour’s official website. "Nowhere to go but down with every hole out there a potential double bogey. I could never relax. I could never relax at all. Very, very tiring mentally. Every shot had to be executed or you could be in trouble. That's a test and a half."

Montgomerie shot 3-under 69 in the final round at the Pete Dye Course and finished ahead of Mexico’s Esteban Toledo, who finished the runner up after shooting 69 overall. Americans Woody Austin, Brian Henninger and Scott Verplank completed the top five. Montgomerie had a commanding three-shot lead after three rounds and wasn’t seriously challenged in the final round when he had six birdies and two bogeys.

With the victory Indiana, Montgomerie also became the first player to win his first consecutive Champions Tour victories in the major since Jack Nicklaus did it in his first six.

In regular majors, Montgomerie finished as a runner-up five times during his career. He placed second in the US Open three times in 1994, 1997 and 2006 and also had runner-up finishes at The Open Championship in 2005 and the PGA Championship in 1995. Montgomerie also had eight European Tour Order of Merit titles and was the European Player of the Year from 1995 to 1997 and 1999.

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