Golf: Monty’s a happy skipper

Colin Montgomerie is happy to stay on as Ireland and Britain’s Seve Trophy captain - even though he knows the almost dreaded implication of that.

Montgomerie led his team to a 14½-11½ points victory at Druids Glen, Co Wicklow, yesterday but he personally lost his singles to Seve Ballesteros - just as he did in the inaugural match at Sunningdale two years ago.

It is part of the format of the event that the two captains play in the top singles and despite Ballesteros’s world ranking of 1,240th he was able to beat 29th-ranked Montgomerie on the last green despite having a seven-over-par round of 78 and despite hitting only one fairway in the entire match.

At least Montgomerie, who has never lost a Ryder Cup singles match, had the comfort of being handed the trophy by Ballesteros this time.

He said: ‘‘It’s difficult to captain and play and it proves it’s not possible in the Ryder Cup, but yes I would like to continue if the team wants me.’’

And he was quick to refute that his loss to Ballesteros took an edge off his week.

‘‘There are no mixed emotions. It’s a team event, okay?’’ he answered. ‘‘Our goal was 13½ points and that was achieved. It’s a happy occasion for the team and myself.

‘‘Seve is unbelievable and if someone could help him find even the vicinity of the fairways he will be a major contender again, I am sure.

‘‘I didn’t play well I haven’t for a number of years now. But he is magical on and around the greens and demoralising in some cases.’’

Thanks to contributions from every member of the team and four points out of five from Paul McGinley and Padraig Harrington - a Continental Europe side lacking a quarter of the Ryder Cup side in Sergio Garcia, Bernhard Langer and Jesper Parnevik were well beaten.

However, Montgomerie does not consider himself the person to help Ballesteros out of his troubles.

‘‘I have enough problems with my swing to try and concentrate on other people. I am no coach at all,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s a shame because he is such a competitor and we’ve lost that on the European Tour.’’

Remarkably, Ballesteros finished as the only player with a 100% record he played just twice and his other match was a thrilling fourball win with his old Ryder Cup partner Jose Maria Olazabal.

They played the last eight holes in six under to send McGinley and Harrington to their only defeat and Ballesteros, his short game coming to the rescue again, finished them off by holing a 60-foot bunker shot.

‘‘Hope is always there,’’ said the 45-year-old Spaniard, who has not had a tournament victory since 1995.

‘‘Golf is a very unpredictable game and the only thing you can try is keep practising and keeping the hope.

‘‘I’ve been trying to get better for the last three years. Maybe I have to go and try to find my driving.’’

Montgomerie’s only unbeaten player was fellow Scot Andrew Oldcorn, a late replacement for Swindon’s David Howell, who broke his arm jogging recently.

Oldcorn had one win and two halved matches on his debut 19 years on from becoming the first Britain and Ireland amateur to win all four points in a Walker Cup match.