London: European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie says Tiger Woods`s 100 percent record at last week`s Presidents Cup was a fantastic achievement.
The world number one was in inspirational form in San Francisco, winning all five of his matches to lead the United States to a 19 1/2 - 14 1/2 victory over the International team.
"Five out of five is a fantastic feat," Montgomerie told reporters after playing nine holes with US Ryder Cup skipper Corey Pavin at Celtic Manor, venue for next year`s biennial team event.”
"A European has never achieved that in Ryder Cup play so it proves how special that kind of feat is.
"It will be difficult enough to try and regain the Ryder Cup without Tiger Woods, never mind if he`s back to top form and winning five points out of five. That would make our job even tougher," added Montgomerie.
Woods has collected 14 major titles but his performances in the Ryder Cup have been less spectacular, recording 10 wins and two halves from 25 matches.Welsh Influence
Montgomerie said he was keen to have a strong Welsh influence on his team at Celtic Manor.
"I think (2006 captain) Ian Woosnam did the right thing in pre-empting that fact in Ireland, to have (Irishman) Des Smyth as one of his assistant captains," said Montgomerie.
"He was (also) fortunate enough to have three Irish players in the team with Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley.”
"I might not have that here in Wales. If I don`t have a Welsh representative playing, I would like to have some sort of Welsh help in the background, with the fact 65 or 70 percent of the spectators will be Welsh.”
"(Welshman) Phil Price ... would be one of the potential candidates that might be in the backroom staff here if he doesn`t perform well and make the team on his own merit," added Montgomerie.Both captains praised Celtic Manor and Pavin said it would make an ideal venue for the Ryder Cup.
"It`s a very straightforward golf course," said the American. "It`s difficult but everything is in front of you.”
"It`s a fair test of golf and there are no tricks out there. There are few pins that require a tremendous amount of knowledge ... it`s just a solid golf course from tee to green, beautifully laid-out."
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.