COLIN MONTGOMERIE still believes he can make Ryder Cup captain Nick Faldo's wild-card decisions even tougher than they already are at Gleneagles this weekend.

Montgomerie says he is "confident" of his chances of winning the Johnnie Walker Championship, which has a first prize of €290,000. It's the final event before Europe's 12-man side for Valhalla next month is known.

But even if he grabs that on Sunday the highest the 45-year-old Scot - a star of the last eight matches against the Americans - can finish on the points table is 15th. Ten players are selected off that, and then captain Faldo will name his two wild cards.

Paul Casey and Darren Clarke - a winner on Sunday in Holland - are the favourites, but Ian Poulter is now in the mix as well after his decision to stay in America this week when fifth place in Scotland could have qualified him.

The big question is whether Faldo has told the Open runner-up he is in, but such captaincy would seem unusual as Poulter making the top 10 in Scotland would have opened the door for another of the big guns to be selected.

Montgomerie's recent poor run is weighing heavily against him, but against that is his cup record, which shows he has never been beaten in singles and is two wins away from passing Faldo as the event's record points-scorer.

Asked how confident he would be that the Ryder Cup would inspire him again, Montgomerie replied: "I think that's obvious.

"The Ryder Cup has brought the best out of me. Everybody tells me, 'Why don't you just play the way you do in the Ryder Cup?'

"As Tom Lehman said in America, 'We'd be delighted if Monty is not playing'. I think that says a lot. To get selected I think I've got to show some form. I haven't become a bad player."

For the task in hand on a course with five par-fives, Montgomerie has been striving for an extra 15-20 yards.

"I think I've got 15 of it," he said. "I'm still five short, but we'll see."

Clarke is looking to back up his Dutch win with more evidence of his worth to Faldo.

"I played well last week and I need to do the same again this week," said Clarke. "If that warrants me or merits me a pick, then fantastic."

As for the last three places in the points table still up for grabs, Justin Rose, Soren Hansen and Oliver Wilson are the three trying to hold off the challenges of Martin Kaymer, Ross Fisher and Nick Dougherty.

Paul McGinley and Graeme McDowell will lead the strong Irish contingent into action at 8am when they tee off with England's Dougherty.

Gary Murphy, Damien McGrane, Rory McIlroy, Clarke and Peter Lawrie also compete.

LPGA English rule

THE world's top women golfers will be required to speak English from 2009 under new rules introduced by the LPGA Tour.

"We're focusing on the fact that we're in the sports entertainment business and we have to interact with fans and sponsors," LPGA deputy commissioner Libba Galloway said, despite no similar rule existing in the men's game. "This is not meant to be punitive in any way. There are very few players who don't speak English.

"We don't think suspensions will happen but if they do were not going to say, 'Boom, go home and try again next year'."

There are 121 international players from 26 countries on the United States-based LPGA Tour, including 45 from South Korea alone.