Monty calls on Ryder stars to play at Manor
Miguel Angel Jimenez is the only member of last year’s side in the field at Celtic Manor this week – and this only a month after Montgomerie stressed the importance of gaining as much knowledge of the course as possible.
“All I can do is ask. I can’t insist,” said Europe’s captain at a joint press conference with opposite number Corey Pavin, who is over from America to take his first look at the venue.
“I am sure I will get a number to say ‘yes’ and I would expect those potential Ryder Cup players to be playing.”
Europe have not been beaten at home since 1993 and the three courses that have staged matches since then – Valderrama, The Belfry and The K Club – had all staged a number of European Tour events during the period leading up.
Celtic Manor hosts the Wales Open for the 10th time this week, but only last year was the switch made to the Twenty Ten course on which the Americans will defend the trophy next year.
Pavin spoke last month of his desire to see some of his stars play next year’s tournament, but since it will again fall two weeks before the US Open – eight time zones away in California at Pebble Beach – that seems a forlorn hope.
The former US Open champion now seems to accept that and commented: “It’s a little more problematic for us.”
Instead he will be urging players to visit Celtic Manor before or after they compete in the Open Championship at St Andrews.
Montgomerie had said previously: “I would like all the potential members of the team to play Wales this or next year. I think it is very important.
“The more you play a course the more you know it. We had an advantage in Valderrama and it was good to use that advantage.
“We had been playing the Volvo Masters at that course for 10 years and the Americans only played it for three days.”
Montgomerie also gave the broadest possible hint this afternoon that Paul McGinley and Thomas Björn will be two of his assistants – if, like his first choice Jose Maria Olazabal, they do not qualify for the team.
Pavin plans four vice-captains, but is not expected to reveal their identities until next year.
Robert Karlsson, Oliver Wilson and Soren Hansen – a quarter of last year’s side – had entered for this week, but all withdrew on Monday.
Wilson and Hansen both cited bad backs and Karlsson, runner-up to Australian Scott Strange a year ago, has an inner ear infection.
Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen then followed them out, leaving only three of the current top 50 in the world – Ross Fisher, Jeev Milkha Singh and Jimenez, who last year played the first 11 holes in eight over par and was joint last before withdrawing with a knee injury.
Pavin and Montgomerie both made their Ryder Cup debuts at Kiawah Island in 1991 – the infamous ‘War on the Shore’ – and Pavin was among the Americans players criticised in some quarters for wearing ‘Desert Storm’ caps.
“That was misconstrued maybe over here,” he said. “It was just a show of support for the troops in Iraq.
“I think a lot of people took it the wrong way.
“I was showing my patriotism to the guys out there putting their lives on the line for our freedom and if that’s wrong then so be it, but I don’t think that was wrong.
“I think I bring a passion to the Ryder Cup, a competitiveness and a love for the Ryder Cup.
“I hope that I can instil that in players that need to have it instilled, but I feel like our players are guys that want to win.”
Tiger Woods included. The world number one has a moderate record and has been on only one winning side in five appearances – he missed last year through injury – but Pavin stated: “Tiger wants to win the Ryder Cup very, very badly.
“As a player I can watch another player and see in his eyes what’s he thinking and what’s going through his head. I was with him in Ireland quite a lot and I saw a very determined man. I don’t know where people get their perceptions about that, but I guarantee you – Tiger wants to win the Ryder Cup very, very badly.”
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