UK/FILE: GOLF - Golfer Colin Montgomerie talks about Ryder Cup success and his future involvement

Scottish golfer Colin Montgomerie has said Europe's Ryder Cup victory was great, but talk of him being a future captain is a little premature because he wants to keep playing. Taking a break from coaching talented young golfers at Northwick Park in northwest London on Tuesday (October 17), Montgomerie also looked forward to the Shanghai Masters in November, where the entry list includes 10 of the world's top 20 golfers. Speaking of Europe's Ryder Cup victory over the USA at Straffan in Ireland in September, Montgomerie said: "It's been great. It was a fabulous celebration afterwards, deservedly so because it's a big thing for Europe to beat the U.S. It's a great thing to beat the U.S. at anything I suppose, especially a game that they feel sort of almost superior at, if you like golf and have been over the years and deservedly so. But now we have a team, a team of 12, a team of almost 18 we can put out, that can compete and it's proven that we can beat the States and it's fabulous for us and the Irish crowd made it even better, they were superb as a support to us Europeans." Montgomerie's name has been linked to the future captaincy of the Europe Ryder Cup team, but he said it's a little premature. "I'll keep playing for as long as I can help the team, right and then if I have an administrative role eventually, well, that would be great, you know. We know that Nick Faldo is the captain in 2008 and then we have to look for a captain in 2010. Now I've been linked to that role, but I would like to say here that I would love to be able to play up until that stage, if not at Celtic Manor, to play for the team. As a competitor, the one thing I would miss hugely is competition. So I've got plenty of time to think about the captaincy when I've finished playing, but I would love to help the team playing in 2010 as well as eight (2008)," said the Scottish golfer. Tiger Woods will lead the strongest field assembled for a golf event in China. Montgomerie will also join Jim Furyk, Retief Goosen, Paul Casey, Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington and Chris DiMarco in the battle for the first prize of 833,000 U.S. dollars. Britain's David Howell will also back to defend the title he won last November by outscoring playing partner Woods on the final day. Montgomerie commented: "I'm glad to see that Tiger Woods is playing again, Jim Furyk -- number one and two in the world are playing there -- and we have I think 10 out of the top 20 in the world playing in China. So it's by far the biggest event that China has ever held." The tournament marks the launch of the 2006-2007 European Tour season and is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Sunshine Tour and the China Golf Association. The total prize fund of five million U.S. dollars is the largest in Asia.

ITN Source | October 19, 2006

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