Monty: I've Got Myself Penciled In Right After Lyle, Olazabal

Douglas Lowe hangs on Monty's every word, especially when the Scot nominates himself and the next two Ryder Cup captains. But Monty's not presumptuous. No sirree!

The Scot is a member of the 15-player tournament committee of the European Tour that will recommend the next Ryder Cup captain and the matter is on the agenda for the next meeting in Abu Dhabi.

"I think it is becoming more cut and dried that we will have two Scottish captains in the next three," he said, meaning Lyle for Wales in 2010, Jose Maria Olazabal for Medinah, Illinois, in 2012 and himself for Gleneagles in 2014.

Olazabal, who has back problems, is still dithering over whether to offer himself for captaincy at Wales or his preferred option of trying to play his way on to the team, but Montgomerie, who views Ryder Cup captaincy as a one-hit job, considers the decision should be made sooner rather than later.

"We have to move on," he said, "and in my view Olazabal, being two-and-a-half years younger than I am, would be a great asset to any team if fit and playing the way he does. There's great passion involved. That leaves Sandy Lyle and I'm 100% behind the idea of taking as vice-captains two of the past winning captains in Ian Woosnam and Sam Torrance with Sandy at the helm. It would be a fabulous team."

I wonder if he checked with Woosie and Torrance about that vice-captaincy nomination?