Jamie Donaldson heads to Merion for his US Open debut this week on the ride of his life.

Twelve months ago, the 37-year-old from Macclesfield was languishing outside the top 100 in the world, without a win on the European Tour in more than 250 attempts.

But then came victory at the Irish Open followed by a second success at the Abu Dhabi Championship in January. It’s a run of form that has propelled him into the world’s top 50 and guaranteed entry into all of this year’s majors, including a Masters debut in April.

But former Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie has told Donaldson he shouldn’t be content to simply mix it with the big boys. Rather, he should be looking to beat them.

“Jamie had a great win in Abu Dhabi this year,” said Montgomerie.

“It was a fantastic win. That will have given him confidence for the whole year. He’s broken into the top 50 and he’s in all the majors. Good luck to him.

“Now he’s got to think about the next step. That’s competing in majors and also getting in that Ryder Cup team. That’s what he has to focus on.

“Over the next year and a bit of qualification he’s got to try to make that next leap.

“To get into the top 20 in Europe is one thing but getting into the top 12 is a whole lot different. It means you become a Ryder Cup player. It’s not easy. If it was, we’d all be doing it.”

Donaldson will tee off in Pennsylvania tomorrow as a 200/1 shot to lift the trophy on Sunday evening.

He’s already proved capable of beating the best in the world, topping a field which included Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in Abu Dhabi and finishing seventh at the USPGA Championship last year.

“Jamie could do well,” added Montgomerie, who finished second at the US Open in 1994, 1997 and 2006.

“Anyone could if they get the putter going. If you can see the lines of the putts and get the pace of the greens early in a round it’s amazing how well you can do.

“Jamie’s good enough and he’s confident enough. It’s just a matter of never having done it in a major yet.

“But who knows? There’s nobody saying that he can’t.

“You never know. Golf is a toss of the coin.

“Who would have said Adam Scott and Angel Cabrera would be in a play-off at the Masters?

“You can pick the first four in tennis generally. But you can’t pick the first four in golf. It’s lap of the gods stuff.”

Much of the pre-tournament build-up has focused on the course itself.

At a shade under 7,000 yards, Merion’s East course will be the shortest US Open layout for nearly a decade.

The115-yard par three 13th is one of the shortest holes the players are ever likely to face but there are long par threes too, and the 521-yard par four 18th.

It’s a course which seeks defence with tight fairways, thick rough and deep bunkers while the USGA were hoping for a week of dry weather and testing conditions on the fast, sloping greens.

But with much of the course under water – there were ducks paddling about on the 16th fairway yesterday - and more rain forecast, Lee Westwood admitted last week that it could be ‘torn apart’.

Rain or shine, however, Montgomerie can’t look beyond the bookmakers’ favourite.

“I think Tiger could adapt to any situation,” he said. “He managed to do it at Hoylake when he was hitting his four iron off the tee.

“If you’re looking for British success, you’re probably looking at Graeme McDowell, who’s playing very well. He’s playing well and it’s a course that will suit him because it’s a bit shorter. He’s got a great short game and he’s confident. He could do well.

“But you’ve got to still favour Tiger because half the shots the pros hit are putts and 70 per cent of the shots are from 100 yards in. Therefore, Tiger is still the favourite in many books.

“Rory McIlroy isn’t playing great and I don’t think the course will suit him being not that long.

“He won at Congressional when it was damp and everything was going right to left. You look forward to seeing British success but you’ve got to be looking at Tiger.

“And I think Tiger needs it as well. He needs to win a major this year and in the next three, I think he’ll win one of them. It may well be this one.”

COLIN Montgomerie is a De Vere Golf Ambassador. He was speaking at the ISPS Handa PGA Seniors Championship at De Vere Mottram Hall.