Thursday, September 2, 2010

Colin Montgomerie claims the Race to Dubai could help his Europe side wrestle the Ryder Cup from the USA next year.

The Ryder Cup captain may not have had much to shout about on the rebranded Order of Merit personally this year - he is currently lying 93rd and well off the pace to make this week’s Dubai World Championship.

But in his capacity as the man leading the challenge of reclaiming the famous trophy from the Americans, Monty feels the Race to Dubai could be his side’s secret weapon.

“It (the Race to Dubai) is great,” Montgomerie told 7DAYS in Hong Kong.

“I think everyone’s raised the standard to get into the Dubai World Championship, they’ve worked harder, they’ve prepared tougher, they’ve worked on fitness through to the mental side of the game.

“Everyone’s wanting to get in there. And I think it’s been super for the whole standard of the European Tour.”

Last year Nick Faldo become the first European skipper to lose the Ryder Cup in nine years. And desperate to get the trophy back at Celtic Manor next September, Monty will have another weapon in his armoury that the feckless Faldo didn’t - an in-form Rory McIlroy.

The world No.17 has surprised many by challenging for the Race lead in only his second full season on tour. And Monty, a man who knows a thing or two about becoming European No.1, is in awe of the young, red-hot Northern Irish ace.

“I always knew he (McIlroy) would eventually battle for it (the Race to Dubai), but I’m surprised he’s done it within a year and half - we all are, which is great news,” the eight-time Order of Merit champion added. “I won my first Order of Merit trophy when I was 30. So to be looking like winning it when you are just 20 is remarkable.”

Martin Kaymer is another European young gun causing a stir by firing his way to third place in the Race. And that means Monty is a man who can look at the September shootout against the Americans with some optimism.

“They were always going to mature anyway but they’ve matured quicker than I was foreseeing and given the established names, the Westwoods and Caseys of this world, a good run for their money,” he said.

It’s now nine months since Monty was named Ryder Cup captain - at the Dubai Desert Classic -  on a day when the sometimes stroppy Scot looked like he had just won the lottery. But his enthusiasm for the role has not yet been bunkered by some of the administrative tasks he has to perform.

“I’ve been busy,” Montgomerie admitted. “I understood the job I was taking on, I’ve played under six different captains but having a career as well as has been difficult, there’s no question.

“Now all the administration work’s out the way, I’ll be concentrating on two things: one, my own game and two, of course, the game of the top 12 in Europe.” And responding to the question of whether he was enjoying the job, Montgomerie added: “Yes, very much.”