Tennis

Coy Montgomerie says 'wait and see' over Ryder Cup captaincy

Colin Montgomerie is currently playing in the Abu Dhabi Championship. Photograph: Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

Colin Montgomerie did little today to dampen mounting speculation he will be appointed captain of the European side for the 2010 Ryder Cup, toying with reporters who pressed him on the subject at the Abu Dhabi Championship and telling his supporters – not to mention those seemingly prescient betting exchange punters who yesterday backed him down from rank outsider to an even-money chance – to "wait and see".

"It would be an honour to be selected but we are no further forward with the selection process than we were on Tuesday," he said – a reference to a meeting of the European Tour tournament players' committee earlier this week during which the subject of the captaincy was debated. The Scot is a member of that committee but excused himself during the meeting, apparently to allow his colleagues to discuss his merits as a captain.

Until now it has been widely assumed the captaincy was José María Olazábal's for the taking, although his insistence that he would prefer to travel to Celtic Manor in 2010 as a player rather than as a captain appears to have prompted the selectors to begin looking elsewhere. Clearly, their gaze has fallen on Montgomerie.

Like Olazábal, the Scot has long insisted he would prefer to be a playing member of the 2010 team but, unlike the Spaniard, it would seem his attitude is adaptable. His only desire is to help win back the trophy lost by Nick Faldo's side in Kentucky last year, he said. "Having played in eight Ryder Cup matches, it doesn't really affect how I would help the European cause. I would like to help in any way, shape or form."

By any standard, this was an equivocal response and one that clearly leaves his options open in the run-up to the next meeting of the selection committee, which will take place in Dubai on 29 January. However, Montgomerie did concede the committee had ruled out the possibility of a playing captain, as well as the idea of naming captains for the next two Ryder Cups – as happened when Ian Woosnam and Nick Faldo were given the job for 2006 and 2008.

With all the speculation revolving around Olazábal and Montgomerie, Sandy Lyle, the forgotten man of European golf, appears to have been ignored once again. Montgomerie has been a vocal supporter of his fellow Scot but today he seemed to concede his efforts had come to naught. "It would be a great shame if Sandy missed out, but in the end this is not my decision," he said. "I am just one voice on a committee of 15."

source :www.guardian.co.uk