Colin Montgomerie put up 'smokescreen' during Ryder Cup

Published on Friday 5 November 2010 17:40

GRAEME McDowell has described Colin Montgomerie's bid to deflect attention from himself during the Ryder Cup win at Celtic Manor as a "smokescreen".

The Ulsterman, who clinched the point that saw Europe regain the trophy in Wales, says he was aware what the Scot was trying to achieve as he constantly said the match didn't mean anything to him personally, that it was all about the players and the European Tour.

"To be honest, that was a smokescreen and I could see through it," commented McDowell. "Colin wears his heart on his sleeve and I could see that the pressure was on him big time that week. He badly wanted to win that Ryder Cup for himself, his team and the European Tour.

"It must have been intense pressure because spectating is so much more stressful than actually doing it yourself. There was nothing he could do after putting his pairings together and sending us out. He must have felt helpless, even though he put together an amazing backroom team with his five vice-captains."

With two Ryder Cups under his belt, McDowell added that he now fully appreciated how impressive Montgomerie's own playing record in the event - the Scot has not lost a singles match in eight appearances - really is.

"Colin is one of my golfing heroes. Anytime I think of the Ryder Cup; he is synonymous with this great competition," said the US Open champion.

"I've been watching these matches since I was a kid and the one that really sticks out for me is at The Belfry in 2002, where he led from the front. How he went out there against Scott Hoch and put blue on the board to set the tone was phenomenal and the importance of doing just that was something he tried to instil in all of us throughout the week at Celtic Manor.

"Colin's unbeaten history in singles is incredible. He tries to be modest when he says he has a 'reasonable' record but it is obvious to everyone that his Ryder Cup record is very impressive."

McDowell said it had been a "real comfort" to have the eight-time European No 1 at his side as he beat Hunter Mahan in the decisive match. "I knew that he knew how I would be feeling," he added in a new book, Monty's Manor, by Iain Carter, the golf correspondent for BBC Radio Five Live. "It was such a great team effort that week. That's what I take most pride in and I'm sure Monty does, too.

"It would have been a travesty if we had not won with him in charge. It would not have been appropriate and our victory was a fitting end to another extraordinary chapter in his Ryder Cup career."

Rory McIlroy, the other Ulsterman in the European team, said he felt Montgomerie had done a "great" job in Wales.

"You could see how much he wanted it," added McIlroy. "He was fantastic. He took a leading role in the team room but when it got out on to the golf course he just let us do our own thing."