GOLF:After serving the European cause on no less than eight occasions since making his debut in 1991, Colin Montgomerie has put the golf clubs to one side and accepted his new role as European Ryder Cup captain for the 2010 matches at Celtic Manor in Wales.
The 45-year-old was officially unveiled as Nick Faldo’s successor at the Emirates Golf Club on the eve of the Dubai Desert Classic which gets underway tomorrow.
It was only in recent weeks that Monty was touted as a candidate to skipper Europe in Wales next year as many had expected the burly Scot to take over the captaincy on home soil at Gleneagles in 2014.
With 2006 captain at the K-Club Ian Woosnam and veteran Sandy Lyle effectively ruled out, the decision came down to two genuine candidates in Montgomerie and Jose Maria Olazabal after the Spaniard threw his hat into the ring last week.
"I am proud and honoured to be selected captain," said Montgomerie at today’s announcement. "It is a huge responsibility having lost the last Ryder Cup.
"It is important we do everything we can to claim the Ryder Cup back."
Both men have been great servants to the European cause in the past. Montgomerie has played in eight successive matches between 1991-2006 and has never lost a singles match - six wins and two halves - while amassing 23.5 points from a total of 36 to be third on the European list of leading points scorers.
He also holed the winning putt for Europe at Oakland Hills in 2004 when captain Bernhard Langer guided his team to a record 18.5-9.5 victory.
Olazabal formed the Ryder Cup's most successful pairing alongside fellow Spaniard Seve Ballesteros. He made his debut at Muirfield Village in Ohio in 1987 and has played in seven Ryder Cups, the last coming at the K-Club in 2006.
The 42-year-old will assist Monty in Wales and is favourite to lead Europe in 2012 when they take on the Americans at Medinah, Illinois. Olazabal served as Faldo’s vice-captain in the Valhalla defeat last year.
Montgomerie will be up against American counterpart Corey Pavin when the teams gather in Wales from October 1st-3rd next year.
Europe were stunned to a comprehensive 16.5-11.5 defeat in Valhalla and the 15-man European Tour selection committee, which Montgomerie was part of, decided the Scot was the best option to regain the trophy.
The eight-times European number one served as the team's talismanic leader over many years and was part of European victories in 1995, 1997, 2002, 2004 and 2006.
Monty holed the winning putt at Oakland Hills in 2004 when he defeated David Toms on the final green. Two years later he was sent out number one in the final day singles at the K-Club and was again pitted against Toms in the top match.
Monty defeated the steady American by the narrowest of margins at the 18th to maintain his unbeaten record in Ryder Cup singles. Unless Monty intends to return to playing duty after his captaincy, the win against Toms in Kildare will prove to be his final act as a Ryder Cup player for he didn’t feature at Valhalla last year.
“We go and we claim back the Ryder Cup. I’ve been given a task, not just to captain this team in Wales but to win back the Ryder Cup in Wales,” added the new captain.
“We feel something’s missing on this table here. The last three Ryder Cup captains have had the privilege of sitting here with the Ryder Cup in front of them.
“We don’t this evening and it’s my job to make that come true for our following captain in 2012.”
