Colin Montgomerie happy to have three Ryder Cup choices

When Colin Montgomerie was named captain of the Europe team that will attempt to win back the Ryder Cup from the United States at Celtic Manor, Newport, next year he let it be known that he would be seeking an increase in the number of selections he would be allowed for his 12-man team.
It had been suggested that the Scot wanted to follow the American example by having four wildcards instead of two, but last night he had to settle for a compromise when the players’ committee of the European Tour, meeting at County Louth, venue of the Irish Open this week, agreed to increase the number to three.
In the previous two campaigns, the Europe team was made up of five players from the world rankings, five from the European Tour rankings and two wildcards. Now only four players will be taken from the world rankings in the (probably forlorn) hope of persuading leading players to increase their playing commitments in Europe.
Montgomerie said: “We want the strongest team possible and hopefully we have put one foot towards that tonight. I am delighted that I have one more option and very happy that I have got what I was looking for.”
Paul Azinger, the United States captain at Valhalla last September, argued successfully that four picks would allow him to take form into account. But while the American team stopped a fourth successive defeat, there were those in Europe determined not to seek change purely for the sake of change. “We are a committee that believes that because we lose one match we don’t need to panic,” Thomas Björn, the committee chairman, said before the meeting.
Source:The times