No bidding, pleads Monty

COLIN MONTGOMERIE last night urged Europe’s star golfers to avoid entering a ‘bidding war’ to become the next Ryder Cup captain. Ian Woosnam, Bernhard Langer and Sandy Lyle have already put their names forward to succeed Sam Torrance as European skipper next year at Oakland Hills in Detroit.

Nick Faldo has also expressed his interest in leading the home side two years later at the K Club in Dublin, while there will be strong support for an Irish captain with former Ryder Cup stars Eamonn Darcy, Christy O’Connor Jnr and Des Smyth in the frame.

But while Faldo feels there should be an official selection process, Montgomerie believes the captain should simply be announced by the Ryder Cup committee instead of being contested in public.

With the likes of Woosnam, Langer and Faldo, Europe have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to choosing future captains.

That is one of the reasons why Woosnam has changed his original wish to wait to be captain until 2010 when the contest will be staged at the Celtic Manor resort, venue for this week’s Wales Open.

The Welshman also feels it is advantageous for the captain to have been vice-captain previously, as he was under Torrance last year, but Montgomerie believes that victory should be the only consideration.

As for his own captaincy prospects, Montgomerie would prefer it to be in Europe given his difficult relationship with American crowds, and envisaged that coming in 2006 even if he makes the team.

Montgomerie is favourite to add the Wales Open to the Irish, Scottish and English Open titles among his 27 European Tour victories, despite making his first visit to the testing Wentwood Hills course.

The Scot is one of only two players in the world’s top 50 competing this week, with defending champion Paul Lawrie among a host of players pulling out of the event.

Volvo PGA champion Ignacio Garrido, runner-up Trevor Immelman and world number 30 Paul Casey have withdrawn.