Monty: Rory deserves to win Race

By Bernie McGuire, Dubai

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

COLIN MONTGOMERIE, winner of eight European Number One titles, believes Rory McIlroy deserves to win this week’s season-ending Race to Dubai title.

The Scot was crowned Europe’s Number One for seven straight seasons from 1993 to 1999 before remarkably sealing an eighth in 2005.

McIlroy moved back into the money list lead by finishing runner-up in Sunday’s concluding UBS Hong Kong Open with Monty believing the effort should be good enough for the 20-year old to wrap-up this year’s gleaming new trophy.

"You want to be ahead going into the final event because the guy ahead on the money list has a huge advantage going into that last counting tournament ," said Monty.

"Every time I went into the Volvo Masters ahead, I always had it in the back of my mind, that everyone else still had to beat me, and I’m playing myself.

"In 1995 when Sam Torrance could have beaten me but I managed to win my third Order of Merit finishing second in the tournament and just one stroke and one place ahead of Sam that was good enough to win the Order of Merit.

"So it’s going to be interesting this week as it will swing to and fro but the leader should win."

It took Monty five full seasons before he captured a first Order of Merit title while McIlroy and third-place Martin Kaymer of Germany, who are a respective 20- and 24-years of age, have been just two and three years full time on the Tour.

And while Monty is impressed by their efforts, the Scot says also a win would do much to cement their place in his European Ryder Cup side.

"The likes of McIlroy, Kaymer and Ross Fisher have just matured quicker to now be giving the established names likes the Westwood and the Casey’s of this world, a good run for their money," said Monty. "So for a couple of young 20-year olds to be up there contending for the Number One title this early on is amazing.

"I won my first Order of Merit when I was 30, so to be looking at winning it at 20, as in the case with Rory, is remarkable.

"We knew eventually that Rory would be contending for the Number One title but it just surprises me he has done it within a year-and-a-half, and it’s just great news.

"And if a European wins in Dubai it’s going to make a big, big dent in qualifying for the Ryder Cup team, so good luck to everybody who is competing, especially the Europeans."

McIlroy arrived into Dubai at 5.30am local time after an eight-hour overnight journey from Hong Kong.

But there was long wait for some dozen competitors this week as they awaited arrival of their golf clubs.

However McIlroy was observed passing the time with Frenchman Gregory Bourdy who had denied McIlroy victory the afternoon before in capturing the UBS Hong Kong Open title.

McIlroy headed straight to his residence for the week to catch-up on some lost sleep before venturing to the Earth Course mid-afternoon to begin preparations for this week’s title showdown.

This story appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Tuesday, November 17, 2009