Monty Probably Won't Be Talking To Gary Player About His Experiences As President's Cup Captain

It's nice that Player at least soft-pedaled the part about the 2006 U.S. Open.

Asked which Scot had made the most impact on him during his career, Player replied: "I'm a great believer in looking at the record book. It doesn't lie. And Colin Montgomerie was the leading money winner on the European Tour eight times. That was phenomenal and for me it was a tragedy he never won either the Open or the US Open.

"If ever someone threw the US Open away, though, it was him at Winged Foot. He needed a par on the last hole to win, a bogey to tie and made double. It's a great shame he didn't win one. You have to be careful what you say, but (at 46] I think it's too late for him now.

"Who goes down in history as the better player – Sandy Lyle or Colin Montgomerie? It's a very debatable issue. But if you said to me personally, whose record would you rather have, Montgomerie's or Lyle's, then I'd take Lyle's."

Celtic Manor Boss: Monty For Office!

Douglas Lowe reports Sir Terry Matthews--lucky 2010 Ryder Cup purchasee--is madly in love with European Captain Colin Montgomerie.

Montgomerie has had a long relationship with Matthews and the resort and he has even designed one of the three courses there.

"I would say he is over passionate about golf and I get on with him incredibly well. He brings his family here," said Matthews.

"I always wanted Monty to be the captain. I get on with him really well, he's a dynamite guy, and no matter where you go they know him.

"He looks good and plays well. He also plays to the audience well. He's more popular than probably any other player than Tiger Woods because he's charismatic and people like that get icon status. They all know Monty. He is the European equivalent of Tiger.

"If he ever wanted to go down the political road he could. He speaks well and is well educated, but he's too busy to go into politics and I wouldn't want to see him lost to golf. The golf industry needs him.

So does the blogosphere!

 "If I was in charge of the PGA and European Tour I would find a way to keep his face in front of the cameras talking about golf because he is more of an icon than George O'Grady European Tour chief executive or Richard Hills Ryder Cup director or any of those guys. He is the star.

There's a high standard. I wonder if Matthews would also tell us that Tiger should be the front man for the PGA Tour instead of Tim Finchem?

Monty Not Physically Injured By Damage To His Bentley

But as James Corrigan reports, the mental scars may haunt his trips to Celtic Manor over the next two years.

After starting the weekend in a tie for eighth, he finished in a tie for 37th and is still waiting for his season's first all-important top 10. Little wonder he refused to talk to reporters following his 71.

Yet it seems there may have been more contributing to his mood than mere bogeys and pars. There was also the little matter of some rather costly, not to mention disrespectful, damage to his car. While Pavin was granted a police escort to the church from his hotel before playing yesterday morning,

Whoa wait a second...a police escort to church for Pavin and mere valet parking for Monty? Who is the European Captain again? Sorry, continue...

poor old Montgomerie was left to survey his pride and joy which had supposedly been safely parked in the valet area. A fellow hotel resident (female) clearly did not check in the rear-view mirror sufficiently. Crunch!

It was no laughing matter – honest – as Montgomerie had to jump in with his father while his Bentley was off in a local garage being repaired. Yes, it would be a long journey home to Scotland. But Monty will be back. For his motor and for the Ryder Cup.

Monty Lloyd Wright Already Running Up Celtic Manor Decorating Tab

Mark Garrod says Europe's visionary captain has made sure to avoid any major hand or wrist injuries after a cranky Sergio blows open the team room double doors after a match demolishing.

"We are lucky that everything there is purpose-built for the Ryder Cup, including the team rooms which can be entered and exited by two big wooden doors.

"Although they were beautiful, as I was standing there looking at them something didn't feel right and it suddenly dawned on me – you couldn't see who was on the other side.

Well, and that Formica finish...it's so trailer park. Oh, sorry continue Monty Stickley:

"Now while that might not seem a big problem, imagine you are coming back off the golf course and are just about to put your hand on the handle to pull the door open when one of your team-mates comes barging out of the room from the other side.

"Bang! The door smashes into your hand and that is your Ryder Cup finished right there and then. Twelve months of sweat and toil to get into the team taken away in an instant.

"I immediately alerted the officials to the issue and that will be changed immediately either by making each door only open one way or by putting glass panels in both the doors so you can see who is on the other side."

Monty Says No To Wales Open Pavin Pairing!

Derek Lawrenson hid this little nugget at the end of his European Open story:

You can imagine the temptation to pair them together for the first two rounds, 18 months before their teams duel over the same course in the Ryder Cup itself.

Except that Monty, who endured another miserable day here with a final round 75, has requested it does not happen.

Clearly, he would be under more pressure to perform and can visualise the bold type in the papers the next morning if he has one of his grumpy days and Pavin shoots 69.

As one colleague wryly put it: ‘A disappointingly shrewd move on his part.’

Captain Monty Open To Having Lunch With People He Never Would Have Dined With Before

Mike Aitken reports on just how desperate European Captain Colin Montgomerie is to win.

"I feel in the past that there has been only a select few told things on a need-to-know basis but I want this to be an open campaign," he explained. "I will do it through e-mails to the players and talk to them in players' lounges. At lunch, maybe I'll sit at tables I wouldn't otherwise have sat at and say 'listen lads, this is what's happening'.

Lunching with the little people he never would have wasted his time with.  Now that is determination!