General / Bill Elliott / 20 January 2009 /

The 2010 Ryder Cup has dominated the golfing agenda since last weekend in Abu Dhabi and it looks like Monty is primed for the captaincy. Meanwhile there's a big golfing competition - The Commercialbank Qatar Masters - taking place. Bill Elliott has written about both.

So it's Monty then for the Ryder Cup captaincy. Or is it?

The big man was at his coquettish best when questioned about the chances of leading the side, flirting - yes, flirting - with his questioners and once again the biggest tease since Salome started flinging off those veils.

It was, of course, the action on the betting exchanges that alerted the sharp-eyed among us that Colin Montgomerie had been asked to bring his captaincy forward from Scotland in 2014 to Wales in 2010. If this turns out to be true, and all my enquiries suggest it is, then expect him to want to do it again at Gleneagles. Indeed this may be the only sticking point at present before next week's big announcement.

What is beyond question is that this Ryder Cup stuff needs sorting out swiftly. All the gossip has its interest of course but talk about making a mountain out of a sand-dune! There comes a point in these stories when the publicity generated can start to back-fire and punters everywhere simply get bored by it all. Right now it is up there with Kaka and Manchester City and all those other transfers that fans are supposed to be fascinated by.

Time to sort out the captaincy issue gentlemen and next time do not make such a meal of it. It is, after all, only a game. Certainly, the suggestion from some quarters that the king-making Players Committee has decided that 51 is too old for a skipper beggars belief if true. Apparently the theory goes that you need a younger man who is more 'in touch' with the players.

Yeah, right, and, for example, Alex Ferguson hasn't a clue what he's doing at OT. Someone's lord give me strength. Maybe Sandy Lyle can get these loons under the Age Discrimination Act. He can certainly get them under the Random Insult To A Decent Scot legislation that rules in my house.

Meanwhile the Camel Ciruit (yes, this is a gratuitously insulting phrase but, hey, loosen up out there) lollops on to Qatar this week and the enchantingly named Commercial Qatar Masters Presented by Dolphin Energy at Dohar. Try turning that into a catchy terrace chant chaps.

Some field too with 18 players from the world top 50 in action. These include defending champ Adam Scott ([11.0] to back) and my favourite American Boo Weekley ([55.0]) who is now an affiliate member of the Euro Tour.

Boo pretends that he only plays golf to fund his real passions, hunting and fishing. See-it-kill-it-possibly-eat-it is Boo's mission statement through life but while this offers an amusing smokescreen unless you are a vegetarian, there is no doubt that the good, old boy from Nowhere, Florida, is a serious golfer who will add greatly to the European Tour's gloss.

Scott, on the other hand, remains a bit of an enigma. The good-looking Aussie seems to have everything needed to take the planet by storm and yet he has sort of dithered about over the last few years. He has made money, big bundles, but not contended enough at the sharp end of the biggest weeks. He loves Qatar though.

Scott has played twice at Dohar and won on each occasion. Last year's victory was sensational as he finished with a 61, low round of the year and a yomp that included 11 birdies. Can he do it again? Of course he can. Would I bet on it? Different question and, to be honest, I'm not sure of the answer. More significantly, I suspect he isn't either.

What I do know is that this should be some event. Even Ernie Els ([17.0]) is there and claiming he is on the up again. Well, he would, wouldn't he, but this time maybe, just maybe, the South African might have a point as he seeks to re-establish himself globally. We'll see. Wonder if Monty has approved his blazer yet?

'.$sign_up['title'].'

'; } } ?>

:

:

:

?

: