Montgomerie fumes as Poulter forgets Paris
Six players from Britain and Ireland and two from Continental Europe are not at St-Nom la Breteche for what used to be called the Seve Trophy in honour of Spanish star Seve Ballesteros.
Paul Casey and Martin Kaymer are injured and Pádraig Harrington and Luke Donald are playing in the Tour Championship in Atlanta, but Poulter joined Lee Westwood, Justin Rose and Sergio Garcia in turning down their places on teams led by Paul McGinley and Thomas Bjorn.
“I just feel that when you are selected for your country more of an effort might well have been made,” said Montgomerie, who will be watching potential members of his side for Celtic Manor in 13 months time.
“Ian Poulter, not having qualified for the Tour Championship and having been picked for the last Ryder Cup team (Westwood, Rose and Garcia all qualified), I felt that a little more effort might have been made to come here.
“I spoke to Miguel Angel Jimenez. He’s never missed one of these and never would miss one. Good for him and I’m the same and Paul McGinley the same and Thomas.’’
Montgomerie added: “I would like to focus on the players that are here and not the players that aren’t. It does give an opportunity for those who wouldn’t otherwise have played to impress not just the captains and their team-mates, but me also.
“You could have over half the (Ryder Cup) team playing here quite easily and it will be interesting to see who performs within a team environment.”
McGinley said: “I’ve always been a great team player and whenever I’ve got picked for a team I play.
“Others guys see it another way. I might not agree with it, but I respect that they have a different opinion.
“Lee is the only one who rang me and explained why he wasn’t going to play. As I say, I didn’t agree with him but I respect that he’s his own man and he can make his own decisions.”
Westwood said he wanted a week off to rest and recharge his batteries for the final few events in the “Race to Dubai” money list.
He lies fourth behind Kaymer, Casey and Rory McIlroy — the only one of the quartet in France.
Rory McIlroy is their top-ranked player — and he insists he never thought of missing it.
McIlroy, who partners countryman Graeme McDowell in the opening fourball against Soren Kjeldsen and Alvaro Quiros, stated: “I’m very excited. It’s my first team event as a pro and I’m looking forward to playing under Paul. I was always going to play if I made the team.
“When you get into weeks like this it makes you realise how special team golf is.”
That was a far cry, of course, from McIlroy’s comments earlier in the year that the Ryder Cup was an exhibition and not high on his list of priorities.
Meanwhile McGinley believes there is a “75-25” chance of Ballesteros flying to Paris this weekend and being present at a European Tour event for the first time since the discovery of a brain tumour last October.
A message sent to the 20 players participating was read out to them by McGinley, who said: “It’s quite an emotional letter and there was a lot of thought that went into it.
“A lot of points he made were not just about golf, but about life and the position we hold in life — how lucky we are to be who we are and doing what we are doing. And to enjoy it because time flies very quickly.
“If you can bring his spirit into the team I think that’s all I want to add to the week.
“Inspiration was the word.
“He’s a special person and has done a huge amount for the European Tour.
“I spoke to him twice last week and I know he will do everything he can to be here.
“He said he is playing the toughest tournament of his life — and he also said he will win.”
Bjorn captains Continental Europe and he added: “I don’t think we can say enough about him as for what he’s done for all of us as players and for the Tour. If there is a father figure of this Tour, certainly from a player’s perspective, it lands on his shoulders. And when it comes to team events, there’s not a person that epitomises them more than Seve Ballesteros.”
The bookmakers have Bjorn’s side as favourites because they are lacking only two of their stars — Sergio Garcia and the injured Martin Kaymer.
Simon Dyson is hoping to fight off a bout of food poisoning in time to play in the opening fourballs today.
Dyson missed yesterday’s pro-am and spent most of the day in bed. If he cannot play Oliver Wilson will compete against either Soren Hansen or Peter Hanson in a singles.
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