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.