Monty risks reputation by lobbying for Ryder return
The bookmakers have the Irishman as 4/7 favourite followed by Monty (7/4), with Darren Clarke out to 7/1. Such is the level of support for McGinley, he could be unopposed for the final decision in Abu Dhabi today.
But if Montgomerie carries the battle to a vote of the Tournament Committee, he could sway those who have taken to heart the Scot’s view that Europe needs “a big name” to counter the influence of US captain Tom Watson.
If that comes to pass, I believe Montgomerie will have done his reputation, especially in the minds of Irish golfers, huge harm.
It is difficult to reconcile his comment after victory at Celtic Manor in 2010 — “that’s it for me with the Ryder Cup” — with his opportunistic remark in more recent times that: “I’ve always said that we need the best and if we’re going for the best man for the job then that doesn’t say you shouldn’t do it again.”
Montgomerie will be in that room in Abu Dhabi today and until he rules himself out of the equation, nobody should underestimate the influence he wields among his fellow professionals. He wasn’t considered a runner five years ago but left the meeting with the honour he covets most.
McGinley was his loyal and able vice-captain at Celtic Manor and did an equally good job for Jose-Maria Olazabal in Chicago last September. He also impressed with his captaincy of successful Seve Trophy teams where Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald, Pádraig Harrington and Graeme McDowell came out strongly in his favour.
McIlroy repeated his feelings on Twitter on Sunday: “RC captaincy should be a one time thing... Everybody deserving gets their chance and moves on... Would love to play under Paul McGinley in ’14”.
Even Paul Lawrie, Montgomerie’s fellow Scot and a highly-successful Ryder Cup player and 1999 British Open champion, spoke up for McGinley, saying: “Watson shouldn’t influence our decision. McGinley or Clarke for me.”
It is difficult to believe the selection committee could ignore McIlroy and so many other distinguished players. But if Montgomerie persuaded them, he could undo a lot of the amazing team spirit that proved so vital in the last two narrow wins.
You can only imagine the uproar here should McGinley be usurped. Not everyone might have agreed with Christy O’Connor Jnr, the hero of Europe’s retention of the trophy at The Belfry in 1989, when he wrote in his autobiography that: “If Paul is not made captain, then we know without any shadow of doubt that the selection committee are definitely anti-Irish.”
Should Ireland be passed over yet again, very few could argue with that view.
As for the Watson factor, why should McGinley feel inferior to a man who will be 65 by the time the Ryder Cup comes around and hasn’t been part of the mainstream US PGA Tour for the past decade?
There is no comparison between their playing records but I fail to see why Watson’s eight Major wins, the most recent in 1983, should in any way give him an edge over a man with a distinguished Ryder Cup record.
As Christy Jnr put it: “A long line of disgraceful wrongs can now be finally put right.”
