COLIN Montgomerie has claimed he would leave himself out if he was selecting the Ryder Cup team right now.
"I would pick (Luke) Donald and (Padraig) Harrington," stated the Scot, who is back in the limelight thanks to his runners-up finish in the French Open last Sunday.
However, Montgomerie, who confesses to self-doubt throughout his career, knows Eur
opean captain Nick Faldo does not have to make his two wild card choices until the end of next month.
By then, he hopes to have forced his way into an automatic spot or, failing that, provided much more evidence that he is the man for the job against the Americans yet again.
"I'm not resting on any laurels," said Montgomerie, at The London Club this week for the defence of the European Open title he won in Ireland last year.
"It's getting harder, there's no question about it. I'm 45 now and you have to dig a little deeper every time. But it's nice to know that it's there.
"Last week's last putt (a 40-footer that helped him finish second behind young Spaniard Pablo Larrazabal) felt like a win, but I've got to keep going here.
"I don't feel I've played my last Ryder Cup – it will be a shame if I have. I think I have at least one left to play.
"It's been part of my life since 1991 and I don't feel I'm ready to give that up."
There is also the Open fast approaching, of course, and when asked if he would take second place at Royal Birkdale with a guaranteed ninth Ryder Cup cap to follow he replied: "Yeah, of course. Definitely yeah. Can I take it now?"
Yet with no Tiger Woods in the field in two weeks' time, Montgomerie knows first place is much more attainable than has been the case in recent years.
Runner-up to Woods at St Andrews three years ago, he added: "The door is a little wider open and it's given a lot of players on form the opportunity of winning a major."
The full article contains 355 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
