Monty - says troubles will help him (Getty).

Colin Montgomerie believes all his recent experiences - good and bad, on and off the course - could help him in the US Open starting at Pinehurst on Thursday.

Montgomerie will remember last year not only for his Ryder Cup heroics but also his marriage break-up, while ever since March he has been embroiled in controversy about the wrong replacing of a ball in Indonesia.

The 41-year-old Scot said after an energy-sapping practice round in 35-degree heat: "The winner here will be mentally exhausted and all that has happened to me will hopefully benefit me.

"Not only in the next four days, but also at the Open next month, the PGA and a few more Majors.

"Anybody who has been through what I have been through, in business or in sport, and manages to come out of it is usually stronger for it."

He gave his Indonesia prize money to charity after seeing the video and feeling "uncomfortable", but is in this week's field only after a real furore and only because the world ranking points from the event helped him squeeze into the world's top 50.

"That was a minor issue blown out of proportion because it was me," he comments.

"It's finished, but I am a much tougher person now than I was before.

"I am looking forward to using that - and if I thought I had played my best golf I wouldn't be here. I have got to think that and I do think that.

"Vijay Singh is older than me (by four months) and seeing what he has done gives me confidence.

"Hopefully I can get into contention for one or two more Majors and hopefully I will get lucky."

Montgomerie is competing in the 54th Major of his life. Phil Mickelson finally broke through at the 47th attempt at the Masters last year, but there are example of players waiting longer.

Mark O'Meara played in 56 without success prior to capturing not only the Masters but also the Open in 1998 and Tom Kite's first Major title at the 1992 US Open was the 71st he had played in.

That was Montgomerie's debut in the event and he could so easily have won. Indeed, he was congratulated by Jack Nicklaus on finishing his round as a fierce wind picked up, but somehow first Jeff Sluman got ahead of him and then Kite got ahead of Sluman.

Just two years later Montgomerie was in a play-off at Oakmont, but Ernie Els won it and the South African took the title again at Congressional in 1997, Montgomerie's bogey at the 17th proving decisive.

In between there was also the play-off defeat to Steve Elkington at the US PGA, but the seven-time European number one has not had a top 10 finish in the Majors since 1999.

He did not make last year's US Open or this April's Masters, but he is proud of how he has battled on and qualified for Pinehurst, albeit thanks to an event which he could easily have been disqualified from.

There has been Gary Evans' outburst since that "98%" of tour players are not happy with what happened and "there has been smoke around Monty before", but after missing the cut in the Wales Open on his last start Montgomerie hopes to show a return to form.

He certainly likes what he sees this week on a course where he was 15th six years ago and where he remembers being the only player to birdie the 18th hole on the final day.

On his climb back up the rankings from 81st at the start of the year he states: "They say it's hard at the top and it is, but it's a lot tougher where I was.

"There are more people less frightened now, the competition has increased and the competition is stronger. Even if I got back to the standard I was when I got to number two in the world that would be only good enough for about 20th now."

The demands of the course are what make him believe he can be a contender come Sunday.

"I think it favours me more than most because course management skills come into effect here.

"It's very difficult and anybody who says they are going to have fun is lying. This is a major championship and nobody is going to have fun.

"Looking back, maybe it's different, but ask Tim Henman when he is two sets to one up at Wimbledon whether he is having fun and I don't think the answer would be 'yes'."