As the race is on for Europe’s top golfers to force their way into contention for a place in Nick Faldo’s Ryder Cup team to face America in September, Colin Montgomerie is notable by his absence.
The 44-year-old Scot is enduring another disappointing season and finds himself 60th in the current world rankings – a world away from being among the top 10 players in Europe which would make him an automatic choice for selection for the showpiece event at the Valhalla Golf Club in Kentucky.
It means Monty’s realistic chance of making the team will rest on Faldo’s two wildcard selections, where he can use his personal preference and choose players outside of Europe’s elite to join the line up.
There is a great chance that Monty could make the side through this route given that he has never lost a singles match in eight appearances in the European team, while he is the current second highest all time points scorer for Europe behind Faldo in the Ryder Cup.
However surely it is time for Montgomerie to step aside and accept it is time to let some of European golf’s young guns have a chance to shoot down the Americans and put down their own markers in Ryder Cup history?
After all the eight times European Order of Merit champion only last month admitted that he is finding it increasingly difficult to compete for the prizes in golf, while claiming Paul Azinger’s American squad will pose Europe their biggest threat in the Ryder Cup.
Monty wants to carry on until at least the age of 50 so surely it is time for Faldo to cut him loose from the Ryder Cup pressure so he can focus on his own game?


Written by Craig Smithson, a professional sports writer who blogs about golf betting at the new Betfair Betting blog.