Montgomerie appointed European captain

Colin Montgomerie has accepted an invitation from the Tournament Committee of The European Tour, ratified by The Ryder Cup Policy Board, to captain The European Team in The 2010 Ryder Cup at The Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, South Wales, from October 1 to 3, 2010.Montgomerie, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland, on June 23, 1963, becomes the 22nd golfer to captain a Ryder Cup Team against the United States and the sixth Scotsman, following in the footsteps of George Duncan (1929), John Fallon (1963), Eric Brown (1969 and 1971), Bernard Gallacher (1991, 1993 and 1995) and Sam Torrance (2002). Montgomerie made the first of eight Ryder Cup appearances in 1991 and he was on the winning European Team in 1995, 1997, 2002, 2004 and 2006. In all he has played 36 matches with 20 wins and seven halved. He owns the phenomenal record of not having lost any of the eight singles he has played and shares the record for most singles matches won (six) and most singles points gained (seven). Montgomerie succeeds Nick Faldo with the aim of regaining The Ryder Cup following a successful spell in which Europe defeated the United States on no fewer than seven occasions in 12 matches since 1985. Europe’s victories were achieved under the captaincies of Tony Jacklin (1985, 1987), Bernard Gallacher (1995), Seve Ballesteros (1997), Sam Torrance (2002), Bernhard Langer (2004) and Ian Woosnam (2006) while Jacklin presided over a halved match in 1989. Montgomerie said: “This is the proudest moment of my career. I have enjoyed some wonderful times, not least of all playing in eight Ryder Cups and winning eight Harry Vardon trophies, but to be named The European Team Ryder Cup Captain is something to cherish. My wife, Gaynor, and I are absolutely delighted. “The Ryder Cup has been a huge part of my life and the next 20 months leading up to the 2010 contest will be invigorating. I’ve enjoyed the thrill of playing under six superb Captains – Bernard Gallacher, Seve Ballesteros, Mark James, Sam Torrance, Bernhard Langer and Ian Woosnam – and every one brought something new to the table and contributed so much. “After playing in eight successive matches it is difficult to explain how much I missed not being part of The Ryder Cup in 2008. Now I have the opportunity to captain a European Team seeking to regain the trophy and I am very pleased to be doing so at The Celtic Manor Resort, a venue with which I have a great affinity. “We want to win the Cup back in Wales. That will be our priority. Nevertheless I know that Corey Pavin and his American team will share with us the desire for this match to be played as has become tradition with fair play and good sportsmanship top of the agenda. “It is also going to be a very special experience playing The 2010 Ryder Cup on a course which is the first in history to be built to host the match. It is set up to challenge the best and being a course with a whole host of tempting options and punishing hazards there will be drama every step of the way. It is going to be an extraordinary week for everyone especially, of course, Sir Terry Matthews, the visionary behind not only the development and continued success of The Celtic Manor Resort but also the Wales Ryder Cup bid. “I would like to stress that I am delighted to be taking this role now for 2010. You can wait too long to become captain and lose touch. I did not want that to happen and this opportunity has ensured it will not. I believe I have the stature to do the job and my experience of playing in this great event so often can only help, too. “I also want to make it clear that I’ve accepted the captaincy with the knowledge that I do not think my days of winning are over. Everyone who knows me will understand that commitment has always been a key word in my vocabulary and I am still focused on winning tournaments. But I’ve also made the commitment to captain The 2010 European Ryder Cup Team and not to play in it. I’ll be focusing on getting everything right for our arrival at The Celtic Manor Resort.”