Colin Montgomerie excited about 'great honour' of representing Europe again in new World Champions Cup

Ryder Cup legend Colin Montgomerie reckons it’s a “great honour” to be representing Europe again in this week’s inaugural World Champions Cup in Florida.

Darren Clarke is captaining the Europeans in the over-50s’ contest at The Concession Club in Bradenton, where they are taking on not only the US led by Jim Furyk but also the Internationals skippered by Ernie Els.

“I think I can speak on behalf of all of us by saying it’s a great honour when you see your bag with ‘Europe’ on it again,” admitted Montgomerie, who, in addition to captain Clarke, is joining forces with Bernhard Langer, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Robert Karlsson, Alex Cejka.

“I never thought I’d see a golf bag with Europe and my name on it again. So it is super to see that and also how everything has been organised. It is real honour not just to represent Scotland and the United Kingdom but Europe as a whole.”

Colin Montgomerie is excited to be playing in the inaugural World Champions Cup in Florida. Picture: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images.

Furyk, who is unable to play himself due to a lingering back injury, has Steve Stricker, Jerry Kelly, Justin Leonard, Brett Quigley, David Toms and Billy Andrade wearing US colours while Els is joining forces with Vijay Singh, Steven Alker, Stephen Ames, KJ Choi and David Toms.

“I am sitting here next to Bernhard, my good friend,” added Montgomerie of Langer, a prolific winner on the Champions Tour. “We played a number of matches together in the Ryder Cup with some success and it’s great that we are all part of a team again which has a great team spirit and we look forward to having a bit of fun yet, at the same time, playing great golf.”

Each match will be contested over nine holes, with teams earning points for every hole won. “Usually you are playing one guy. Now they are both playing you and you are both playing them,” said Montgomerie of the format.

“I think it will work extremely well and I’m looking forward to getting all 162 points (laughing). It should be interesting and also close as all three teams are incredibly good in terms of the standard of golf we can produce and it is great that we can showcase our tour to this extent worldwide.”