Duntocher golfer John Henry played in an Open qualifying event with Colin Montgomerie

Henry had originally missed out on the qualifying event by one shot and was left to agonisingly wait as he was put on a reserve list for the at Gailes Links Course.

But on the weekend before the event, the Clydebank and District Golf Club member received a call on Saturday saying a spot was now available.

And he discovered on Sunday morning he was paired with Monty.

He said: “I ended up getting a call on the Saturday saying there was now a spot available as there had been so many call-offs.

“And on the Sunday morning I saw the pairings and I was paired with Colin Montgomerie, so I played two rounds with Monty.

“He shot five under and one under and it was pretty good to watch to be honest.”

Montgomerie finished third in the event, with the top three qualifying for the Open at the Royal Troon this week. And while Henry was not able to claim a coveted qualifying spot, he said he learned a lot from watching Monty – and he was also able to have a laugh with the 53-year-old.

Henry added: “We chatted away and I learned a lot from watching his play, which was good.

“He’s always been a bit strict around his spectators, and that was quite funny to be around.”

Montgomerie has often had a colourful past with supporters at events, most notably in the 1997 US Open where he swore at a spectator after being subjected to heckling by the American fans.

Henry also competed in a Scottish Challenge Tour event in Spey Valley, Aviemore in June – a tour up in standard from the EuroPro which he is currently playing in.

He said: “I played pretty decent there.

“I shot one over for both rounds, but I wasn’t making shots and felt like pulling my hair out after every round. I just wasn’t saving shots, wasn’t getting it up and down, not getting birdies when I should have, not making pars when I should have and making bogeys and doubles out of it when it was pretty simple stuff.

“It was good to play a challenge tour event, it was a good experience, playing in a better field, a tour up from the EuroPro. That was my first challenge tour event I’ve ever played so it was good.”

After the Open qualifier, Henry rejoined the EuroPro tour to play at Longhurst, Newcastle.

The Clydebank and District Golf club member said: “I had an afternoon tee-off and it was raining for the first 12-13 holes, really windy and I shot six over on that round. I shot level the next round but missed the cut by two or three shots.

Henry last week was competing at Montrose, where he shot four over in the first round and one under in the second, missing the cut by two.

He added: “It was another round where I came off pulling my hair out as I thought I’d hit the ball quite nicely but couldn’t make a score out of it.

“I just wasn’t saving shots, wasn’t getting it up and down, not getting birdies when I should have, not making pars when I should have and making bogeys and doubles out of it when it was simple stuff.”

This week Henry is competing at The Carrick, Loch Lomond, and you can go down to see him play the event, which is free for all spectators.