Ryder Cup: Captain Monty 'best man for the job'

COLIN Montgomerie will become the sixth Scot since the match began in 1927 to captain Europe at the Ryder Cup when the biennial contest is staged at Celtic Manor in 2010. Having finished on the winning side against the United States five times as a player, Monty was the unanimous choice of his peers to help reclaim the trophy lost at Valhalla last autumn.

Jose Maria Olazabal, who is expected to be part of the Scot's backroom team in Wales, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam were also considered for the position.

But Monty's credentials as one of Europe's greatest Ryder Cup players, along with an intimate knowledge of the men he will lead at Celtic Manor, swung the decision in his favour. Following in the footsteps of compatriots George Duncan, Johnny Fallon, Eric Brown, Bernard Gallacher and Sam Torrance, Montgomerie, who lives in Perthshire, had hoped to be honoured with the captaincy at Gleneagles in 2014.

However, the flaws which became evident during Nick Faldo's tenure in the post – the 51-year-old six-time major winner was said to be too remote from the players – persuaded the European Tour's tournament committee to select a near contemporary. At 45, Montgomerie was enough of a pragmatist to heed the concerns of his colleagues on the committee when the question of age arose. Although Monty lobbied for Lyle to get the job in Wales, leaving the path clear for Olazabal in 2012 and himself on home turf in 2014, he accepted the majority view that it was time to do the job now or, in the future, possibly suffer the same unfortunate fate as Lyle.

When asked at a press conference in Dubai what had persuaded him to relinquish the opportunity of playing his way into the side at Celtic Manor and to accept the captain's role, the Scot explained: "I've been listening and taking heed of what (his fellow players] have been saying. It just seems the time is right for me to take the helm here and be captain.

"You can wait too long to become captain and lose touch. I did not want that to happen and this opportunity has ensured it will not. I believe I have the stature to do the job and my experience of playing in this great event so often can only help, too."

Since Montgomerie knows better than anyone that the position of captain can no longer be combined with a playing role, the Scot has been forced to surrender any claim on qualification for Celtic Manor.

In the build-up to previous matches over the past ten years both Mark James and Bernhard Langer muddied the waters of their captaincies by suggesting if they qualified then they would choose to play and pass on the baton to someone else. In the end, those possibilities didn't come to pass, but the Ryder Cup board are now far more insistent that being captain means not playing.

While he will take part in the Race to Dubai both this year and next, the Scot knows his position at Celtic Manor is to manage and inspire others rather than to add to the 23½ points he's already won for Europe on the course.

"All the points I earn as a player for the Ryder Cup will be nullified," he said. "I will not in any way, shape or form come close to qualifying for the team. I am captain and very proud and honoured. I've accepted the captaincy with the knowledge that I do not think my days of winning are over. Everyone who knows me will understand that commitment has always been a key word in my vocabulary and I am still focused on winning tournaments."

Not surprisingly, Monty is unwilling to call time on his playing career and hasn't ruled out competing for a place in the team in 2012.

The more immediate challenge is to win back the trophy which slipped from Faldo's grasp in Kentucky. Unlike his predecessor, who effectively wanted to run a one-man show, Monty will return to the tried and trusted formula which served Ian Woosnam, Sam Torrance and Bernhard Langer so well.

Olazabal will be the favourite to succeed the Scot for the 2012 staging of the Ryder Cup in America. More immediately, if he wants to help out at Celtic Manor, Montgomerie will be happy to welcome the two-time Masters champion on board.

Asked if he'd given any thought yet to his assistants, the Scot replied: "It's obvious that Jose Maria will be part of my team at Celtic Manor. We have a great understanding and I have had a respect for him since we first came together in the Amateur final in 1984. It's amazing how we have gone forward (together] since then."

Q & A

Q: Can Monty play in the 2010 Ryder Cup now that he is captain?

A: No. He has said he will not be a playing captain.

Q: Having missed out on Ryder Cup selection last year, does the captaincy mean that his playing days in the event are now over?

A: Not necessarily. Monty could still play his way into the team for the following match, if he finds his form. "My aim now is to play in 2012," he said.

Q. Will he remain a full-time player on the European PGA Tour?

A. Yes, although his captaincy responsibilities will increase as the match approaches and he will not necessarily be able to play in every tournament.

Q. Does captaincy at Celtic Manor bring an end to the Scot's hope of being captain at Gleneagles in 2014?

A. It reduces his chances, but he would not rule out a second stint as captain when asked yesterday.

Q. Who will be his assistants next year?

A. Jose Maria Olazabal looks certain to be called upon to fill the role he performed under Nick Faldo in Kentucky last year. The other assistant is not as clear cut, and it is possible that Monty will decide that one assistant is enough. However, the Scot did say yesterday that Thomas Bjorn, the chairman of the players' committee who selected Montgomerie, could have a role to play if he does not qualify for the team.

Q. Why did Olazabal lose out to Monty, after the job appeared to be his for the taking?

A. The Spaniard's recent poor health – he has rheumatism – counted against him. He is expected to be a candidate for the job for the next match, In Illinois in 2012.

Q. Didn't Monty himself back Sandy Lyle to be captain next year?

A. Yes he did, but he took a pragmatic attitude when the Ryder Cup committee reached the unanimous conclusion that it had to be the 'best man for the job' – Montgomerie.

Q. What age will Monty be at Celtic Manor?

A. 47, making him Europe's youngest captain ever. United States captain Corey Pavin will be 50.

Q. When and where does the 2010 match take place?

Over three days, 1 to 3 October, at the Celtic Manor Resort on the outskirts of Newport in south Wales.