Monty expecting hair-raising start

Colin Montgomerie tonight admitted ‘his hair would be standing on end’ when he hit the first shot in the Ryder Cup tomorrow.

Montgomerie, who needed a wild card from captain Bernhard Langer to make his seventh straight appearance, will partner Padraig Harrington against the dream pairing of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the opening fourball match at Oakland Hills.

“From where I was in my life in April (when news of his split from wife Eimear was made public) to where I am now is a different world and I am honoured to be part of this team and this set-up,” said the 41-year-old Scot.

“The atmosphere is going to be electric and everybody involved in that group will have the hair on the back of their neck standing up tomorrow morning.

“It is going to be a dramatic opening, there is no question about that. But that is why we play this game, that is why we try to get into this position and it is an honour what Bernhard has done.

“Dinner will taste differently tonight. Playing Tiger is a unique thing in its way.

“He is intimidating without wanting to be. I like him as an individual, he wants to be one of the lads which of course he can’t be because he is in that elevated position if you like, almost a regal position here in the States.

“Phil Mickelson has had the year of his life (first, second, third and sixth in the four majors) and they have put them together. It will be interesting but we can beat them.

“The only way we can beat them is by scoring lower than them, i.e. by doing our own thing. Padraig and I are experience enough of playing our own game and beating them. We will go to bed with that view and wake up tomorrow morning with that view and it will be dramatic.”

Montgomerie also struck the opening shot at Oak Hill in 1995 and partnered Harrington to victory over the previously unbeaten pairing of Mickelson and David Toms at The Belfry; he and Paul Lawrie also beat Woods and Steve Pate at Brookline.

The former European number one has also been top or joint top scorer in each of the last three contests and added: “They will not like the fact of facing us, they won’t really know what to expect.

“Padraig is a super partner and hopefully he has as much faith in me as I have in him; I think he asked to play with me which was good because we have respect for each other.

“I actually didn’t realise I had lost only two of the last 16 matches I have played in this competition. I might be 62 in the world but that goes out of the window in this competition, it has to because I wouldn’t have the record that I have.

“This is the start that the tournament deserves. Game on.”

Harrington, who along with Montgomerie is the only European player to have won a singles match in the Ryder Cup, added: “It is exactly as we predicted, no surprise to us. That’s the way we wanted it.

“Monty has the experience and I am usually pretty determined. They are the big stars but hopefully we will manage our games against them.”

The second match sees Darren Clarke and Miguel Angel Jimenez take on Davis Love and Chad Campbell, Paul McGinley and Luke Donald are up against Chris Riley and Stewart Cink, and Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood renew their Belfry partnership against Toms and Jim Furyk.

Westwood and Garcia won three points out of four two years ago despite the Englishman struggling with his game, and he said: “It’s great. We have had three practice rounds together and we had a good record last time at The Belfry. I’m playing a bit better now so we should do well.

“We get on very well, that’s the main explanation for it. We have a good time out there, a good laugh, don’t take it too seriously and get on with the job.

“Sergio is playing very well. He played nine holes out there the other day in six or seven under. He is a class act. It’s nice to have him as a partner.

“I’m a little surprised to see Mickelson and Toms split up but obviously he wants to come out with his two best players straight away, numbers two and four in the world and that speaks for itself.”