GOLF: Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie's return to action in Seville next week will mark his 500th European Tour appearance as a professional.

That is still more than 200 fewer than the Tour record held by his fellow Scot Sam Torrance, but Montgomerie is proud to be joining an elite band of 18 players to have reached the landmark.

“I am very lucky that my career is also my passion,” said the eight-time Order of Merit winner. “I still enjoy the thrill of competing just as much as I did when I started out on the European Tour 20 years ago.”

In fact it is 23 years since he first appeared as an amateur at the Scottish Open at Gleneagles, finishing joint 29th.

“Over the years and the 499 events I have been delighted and proud to be part of the Tour and to see it develop into the thriving worldwide tour it stands as today.”

Since his debut the 45-year-old has rewritten the history books several times, having amassed total of €23,639,775 in official European Tour earnings, recorded 182 top-10 finishes, set 13 course records and won more times (31) than any other British player.

The Scot opened his account on his 54th European Tour appearance in 1989, when he cruised to an 11-shot win at the Portuguese Open – his biggest margin of victory in a European Tour event.

Next week’s event is the Andalucian Open at the Jose Maria Olazabal-designed Real Club in Seville. Thomas Levet is the defending champion, but it’s the course where Dubliner Peter Lawrie claimed his maiden tour title in last year’s Spanish Open.

Earlier this week Olazabal agreed to assist Monty at next year’s Ryder Cup – if he doesn’t play his way onto the team – and their careers started out at a similar time with the Spaniard defeating the Scot to win the 1984 British Amateur title.

Three years later Montgomerie turned professional, and collected his first pay cheque (€1,905) after a tied 45th finish at the 1987 German Masters.

Twenty years later, in July 2007, he won the more substantial sum of €593,580 after surpassing Nick Faldo’s previous record of 30 European Tour titles with his one-shot victory at The European Open at The K-Club.

He might also have taken over from Faldo as the highest points-scorer in Ryder Cup history if Faldo had picked him for last September’s match, but his unbeaten singles record in eight matches is among his greatest achievements.

European Tour statistician Steve Doughty calculated that Montgomerie is a cumulative 1,597-under-par for his 499 events and has earned €182 for each of his 121,525 shots.