Golf: Monty on the retreat over Tiger remarks

COLIN MONTGOMERIE has dismissed reports that he wouldn't have picked Tiger Woods for his Ryder Cup team and hailed the American as the best golfer "that has ever played the game".

The Scot said he was baffled when asked to explain his comment about not selecting Woods after Corey Pavin and his team touched down in Wales yesterday.

"I don't know where that came from," he said. "I've always said that Tiger is the best player in the world and, in my opinion, the best player who has ever played the game. Of course he would be on my team. I said that at the US PGA (Championship]."

Montgomerie, who welcomed Pavin and his players as they arrived at Cardiff Airport, added: "I am delighted to see Tiger here. We welcome him with open arms.

"It is the first time he will have played golf in Wales as a professional, and we are just looking forward to seeing him play. A lot has been written about Tiger's performances in the Ryder Cup, it's just that it is poorer than his individual record, which is extreme. We look forward to seeing how Tiger is going to be playing and who he is going to be playing with, and see how we can counteract that, I suppose."

In a joint press conference at Celtic Manor, both Montgomerie and Pavin spoke of their delight that this week's eagerly-awaited contest had finally come around.

"It's been two years since Corey and myself we were both selected as captains," said Montgomerie, who is bidding to win back the trophy after the Americans won at Valhalla two years ago.

"Now, it is upon us, and we look forward to getting on that course. We can't wait for Friday morning. I think these matches will be very, very closely-contested. On this occasion, I think it will come down to a Sunday putt." As the home captain, Montgomerie was entitled to set up the course however he saw fit to suit the strengths of his players or negate those of their American opponents. But the 47-year-old instead insisted he had set the course up to allow the best team to win.

"On this occasion, I haven't played around with the golf course at all," Montgomerie said. "This golf course is set up in a very, very fair manner to allow the best team to win. I don't think it was right to set the course up in any other way than to what it's been designed for. It's a great, great golf course and it's in super condition."

Asked if the course was set up as for a standard European Tour event, Montgomerie added: "Hence to our advantage, if it is a European Tour set-up. I was hardly going to set up to a US Tour set-up.

"It is a very fair test of golf and something that our European Tour players will be used to in the pace of greens. The rough is graded very fairly. A good shot will be rewarded and a bad shot will be penalised and that I think is the game of golf and that is what it should be.

"We are due for some breeze over Friday, Saturday, Sunday I see, average of about ten to 15 miles an hour, which I think the course set-up will favour. I think it's not too tough, and yet it's tough enough. I think sometimes you can get yourself in a muddle by thinking that this is going to favour one team, and then the wind direction changes or something happens and of course it favours the other. I feel the course is very fair. I'm very happy with the set-up."

The conditions on the course were also somewhat damp, with a persistent mist, which could be a concern if it prevails later in the week.

Pavin is also eagerly-awaiting the first Ryder Cup match to be staged in Wales.

"It's hard to win over here. Any time you travel overseas and play there is a home course advantage, and that's what Colin has this week. We have to overcome that.

"Team USA is going to play hard, play the best it can and try to keep this trophy in our hands."

It already looks as though the Junior version is going to stay in US hands after the visitors stamped their authority on that event by finishing the first day leading 9-3 at Gleneagles.

They won the morning foursomes 5-1, and extended their advantage in the afternoon mixed fourballs by winning four and losing two of the six matches.

It left Europe with a tough task in the 12 singles matches today, the final session of the biennial contest for girls and boys under the age of 18.

"I'm speechless," said European captain Gary Stangl. "It's a really disappointing start for us."