By Mark Garrod, PA Sport Golf Correspondent

Colin Montgomerie left Muirfield in a huff and in a hurry - on the course as well as off it.

But there was just enough time for the 39-year-old Scot to show his disgust. Not about his worst performance in an Open ever, but about how newspapers had portrayed him.

Despite a tee-off time of 7.25am - a direct result of his nightmare third-round 84 - Montgomerie had absorbed at least some of the things written about him.

So when he finished his final-round 75 at 10.11am - with three spectators sitting in a grandstand built for 900 - he turned on the reporters waiting to speak to him.

The seven-time European number one, so full of the joys of summer after his course-record 64 on Friday, did not take one question.

And when he finished his attack on those he said had blasted him for storming off after that third round, he .... well, stormed off actually.

"I'm very disappointed with the attitude about my temperament in the press this morning," he said.

"My temperament has been fine and has been for years. When I finished, Tiger Woods was here and you were more interested in him.

"I would have spoken, but no-one was wanting to speak to me. I didn't storm off. I didn't go off in a temper. Okay?

"I played in very difficult circumstances yesterday.

"I'm very disappointed at the way you guys keep on trying to believe that I have a bad temper on the golf course.

"I've not had for five years. I'm very, very disappointed."

With that he was away, although minutes later in the car park of the hotel adjoining the course, he told a championship press officer: "I'm very hurt by it.

"I've pulled out of tournaments for the next two weeks. I can't handle it any more."

It remains to be seen whether he changes his mind about that once he cools down.

Montgomerie was not entered for this week's Dutch Open any way, but is the defending champion at the Scandinavian Masters starting on Thursday week.

His manager Guy Kinnings said: "I've spoken to Monty in his car and told him to drive safely and get home in one piece.

"We've agreed to speak tomorrow. Whether he plays in Sweden is the only issue.

"He was a little shell-shocked after his third round, but he has been hurt by some of the comments."

The 84 was Montgomerie's worst Open round by eight, but unlike Woods' 81 not the highest score of his professional career.

At the 1992 Benson & Hedges International at St Mellion in Cornwall he recorded an 85.

This was his biggest let-down, however, and how well he can come back from it remains to be seen.

He is off on holiday with his family this week and if Montgomerie does not play in Stockholm in the tournament which brought him his last victory, his next appearance will be the US PGA Championship in Minnesota next month.

Montgomerie led at halfway last year and fell away. This time he recovered from an opening 74 to be two off the lead after 36 holes.

He finished with his highest 72-hole total in the Open, a 13-over-par 297, which left him next to last of those who played all four rounds.

Montgomerie's 64-84 equalled an Open record - the biggest variation between two successive rounds.

At Sandwich in 1938, West Surrey professional RG French scored 71-91.

One article about Montgomerie focused on his Jekyll-and-Hyde nature and joked that on a bad day he "bites the head off his favourite Bob the Builder" and even on a good day he is "creepy" and "gives us the screaming ab-dabs."