Colin Montgomerie last night pinpointed the only opponent standing between Tiger Woods and the Grand Slam - God!

Montgomerie believes Woods, who has already won this year's US Masters and US Open, will add The Open and USPGA Championships to his collection unless the wind blows him off course.

Woods's Open assault has been undermined by the wind before - in 1998, he finished third at Royal Birkdale after shooting 77 on the Saturday as a gale whipped across the Southport course.

Since then, the American has finished tied seventh, first and tied 25th in the Open, but rarely has he arrived on these shores in such good form.

Woods will become the first player to capture all four majors in the same year if he adds to his Masters-US Open double in the next four weeks.

Montgomerie reckons the achievement is within his grasp - as long as the Almighty is kind to him at Muirfield.

He said: "The weather at The Open is Woods's biggest problem as he tries to win all four - God is his biggest opponent!

"There's the risk of the weather being against him at Muirfield. The wind could suddenly pick up and blow him away through no fault of his own.

"How often do you see someone in one of the first groups out shoot a decent score and then lead for the rest of the day?

"If Tiger Woods wins The Open, the USPGA Championship will be a massive event for golf.

"If he can handle the pressure that will go with that, hats off to him. But I honestly think that if he wins The Open, he'll definitely win the USPGA."

As Woods eyes his ninth major title this week, 39-year-old Montgomerie headed to Muirfield looking for his first. The seven-time winner of the European Tour's Order of Merit can only look with increasing envy at Woods's global domination.

The Scot said: "To win all four majors in one year would be amazing, though to hold them all at one time is something special.

"He clearly wasn't satisfied with not winning them in the same year, though, so that's his next target and he's good enough to do it.

"I'm amazed by how he can get his game to peak at the right time. He's always in top form at the majors and uses the other tournaments for practice; he practices shots he'd use in majors.

"The Ryder Cup is different. He didn't do too well at Valderrama in 1997, and in 18-hole matchplay anything can happen.

"If someone goes ahead early on, it's difficult for them to be caught, and in recent years he's lost to Peter O'Malley and Costantino Rocca in matchplay.

"But while of course he wants to do well for America, the Ryder Cup wouldn't be among his top four targets for this year. He's only focused on the majors."

Montgomerie led the 2001 Open after two rounds, only to fall back down the field at the weekend and finish 13th, six shots behind winner David Duval.

A back injury has hampered him this year but he went to Muirfield buoyed by a final-round 66 at the Scottish Open on Sunday.

He said: "That's the best I've played for many, many years, yet I missed lots of putts. To miss so many putts is criminal.

"It's not often you have 66 and need to go straight to the putting green, which is what I did, but I can't play any better from tee to green than I did.

"I also know I can compete with Tiger Woods. We both shot 20 under at the German Open in May and though he beat me in the play-off, it showed I've got the ability and mental strength to match him."