Open 2009: Monty tells Lyle: don't take Ryder Cup disappointment out on me

Published on Wednesday 15 July 2009 22:55

EUROPEAN Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie has told fellow Scot Sandy Lyle not to punish him because of the bitter sense of disappointment Lyle feels at being overlooked for the job at Celtic Manor in 2010.

Lyle, who at first apologised for comments suggesting Montgomerie was guilty of "a form of what you would call cheating" when he replaced his ball at the Indonesian Open four years ago, went on to re-state the claim at a botched press conference on Tuesday.

After thinking overnight about Lyle's extensive remarks, Montgomerie gave a brief response on the range at Turnberry yesterday morning. "I came down here to play golf and was hit with this," said the runner-up in the 2005 Open at St Andrews.

"Because he's disappointed at not being Ryder Cup captain, please don't take it out on me. I know he's disappointed, that's obvious. It's fine. But please don't take it out on me. I've decided not to say anything (else] after digesting it. I don't think these comments warrant anything. George O'Grady is saying something and that should finish the whole thing."

In a statement, the chief executive of the European Tour said: "The Tour wishes to state that the tournament committee debated the Jakarta situation extensively and made a full statement at that time.The same tournament committee, at their meeting at the Dubai Desert Classic earlier this year, elected Colin Montgomerie as the 2010 Ryder Cup captain and persuaded him to take the job.

"The decision was greeted in Dubai with great acclaim by the tour members, who felt the committee had chosen absolutely the right man for the job in Wales. The tour fully understands Sandy Lyle's disappointment at not being elected captain but deeply regrets his comments, which are considered wholly inappropriate and ill-timed."

Whether or not Lyle will face any charge from the European Tour of effectively bringing the game into disrepute remains to be seen.

Peter Dawson, the chief executive of the R&A, expressed disappointment that two iconic Scottish golfers should have caught in such a tangled web.

"Well, it's not really our business," he said. "All I would say is it's a great shame when professional players like that get into those sort of arguments. I very much hope it will be sorted out as soon as possible. I understand the European Tour's George O'Grady has made a statement about it this morning, and I think all we can do is say it is a Tour matter and we support his statement."

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