Ryder Cup Betting / Maxliu / 27 August 2009 / Leave a Comment

Europe's 2010 captain has already set about ruffling the feathers of his elite golfers and disharmony may be the end result.

There's no doubting Colin Montgomerie's passion for the Ryder Cup. Over the years he's been magnificent and the competition has arguably provided the highest moments of a glorious career. A man who has never quite been able to hold his nerve together to win a major on his own, when he's been playing for the team he has had a heart of oak. The statistics tell you that: never lost a singles match in eight appearances, with 23.5 points gained from 36 contests.

So I shouldn't really worry about his credentials to be Europe's captain at Celtic Manor next year, but I do. Because it's one thing being part of a team, being the leader by performance out on the course. And it's another thing entirely being the captain who has to put the whole shooting match together.

I had my doubts when he was appointed, mainly because it followed so soon on the hissy fit he threw at being left out of Nick Faldo's losing side at Valhalla. He was angry that Ian Poulter missed the final qualifying event, claiming Faldo must have already promised a wild card to the flamboyant Englishman. And he was angrier still when that wild card was duly issued and he was left at home for the first time in 17 years.

Poulter, incidentally, ended up Europe's top points scorer, but the rumpus couldn't have helped all the team preparation. And I wonder if there's a little bit of sour grapes in Monty's first major pronouncement as 2010 captain.

A few minutes after collecting his captain's golf buggy during a ceremony at Gleneagles before the start of the Johnnie Walker Championship he was laying down the law about what he expects from his team. And top of his list wasn't hitting long drives and sinking tricky putts, but loyalty to the European tour. He wants the likes of Padraig Harrington and Poulter to cut down their playing appearances in the States. And he's insisting they must play three tournaments in particular - the 2010 Wales Open, the BMW Championship at Wentworth, and next year's Johnnie Walker which will be the final qualifying event to make the team. (If that's not a dig at Poulter I don't know what is)

Poulter, along with Harrington and Sergio Garcia, are of course not in Scotland today but lining up in The Barclays in New York. And if they chose to play there again next year, what would really be the problem? Where is Harrington more likely to complete his return to form, working round Gleneagles against a second string opposition or taking on [3.15] favourite Tiger Woods head to head again at Liberty National?

The top 12 Europeans in the world rankings at the moment are headed by Paul Casey and Henrik Stenson, with Garcia third. All three of them have committed as much time to America as to Europe, and that has forced them to improve. Yes, they are chasing big prize money, but the point is that they have to earn it against the best players in the world.

Europe are currently [1.94] favourites to win at Celtic Manor next October and recover the trophy they lost so spectacularly at Valhalla. America are [2.33] to win, and that's value because much as I'd like to see Monty as a winner I'm not sure it's going to happen. I fear this is the first sign of him being too intense, and wanting to have too much control over players who are normally in command of their own careers. He marked the last Ryder Cup by being at the centre of a row. I fear there are more rows waiting to happen this time.

Five things you might not know about Henrik Stenson

1. Born in Gothenburg in 1976, he delivered newspapers to pay for his trips to the local driving range and golf course when he was growing up

2. He was only 20 when he met his wife Emma when both were playing golf at a course in Sweden. They didn't marry until ten years later, and now have a two-year-old daughter, Lisa

3. His favourite meal is Swedish meatballs with potatoes and sauce - and he says not being able to get them is the one thing he hates about the American tour

4. His career high world ranking of fourth, achieved in May this year a week after winning The Players Championship, is the highest ever achieved by a Swede

5. He wore a green wig for the victory celebrations after the 2006 Ryder Cup - and a red bow tie to the victory dinner

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