Monty tells Scottish golfers to 'raise the bar' ahead of Celtic Manor

THE home of golf's foremost professionals must raise the bar and produce improved performances when the qualifying process starts next year for the 2010 match at Celtic Manor in Wales in order to ensure the European Ryder Cup team doesn't remain a Scot-free zone, according to Colin Montgomerie.

Quick to acknowledge his own shortcomings yesterday after missing out on a wild card selection for Valhalla, as well as the performances of his compatriots, Monty rued: "It's a shame, because the home of golf should have someone on that team. There are a few guys on the European Tour, people like Stephen Gallacher and Marc Warren, who have the potential. They have to raise the bar for Scotland to try and get in (the next team]. That applies to me as well, because I do feel I haven't played in my last Ryder Cup.

"The last time we had a team without a Scot was in 1937, the year my Mum was born, now that's not great news that run has come to an end. I suppose for a few years I was the flag- bearer after people like Sam Torrance and Sandy Lyle finished. I've been on my own for the past three occasions, but this isn't good and we have to fix that. It's a situation we have to change. Because we're not competing at Ryder Cup level."

Speaking at Greywalls Hotel, near Gullane, in East Lothian where he was invited to share some of his knowledge of the game with the Scottish team taking part in the Home Internationals, which start at Muirfield tomorrow, Montgomerie believes the country's emerging amateurs must also trust in their own ability. "I'm talking to the young guys here who will represent Scotland in the Home Internationals this week and they are our future," he said.

"There are 40 golfers here at Muirfield this week and they're the future of golf in this country. You'd expect half-a-dozen of them to be Ryder Cup players of the future and let's just hope one or two of them are Scots.

"I will tell the guys to do exactly their own thing (when they turn professional]. Too many amateurs turn pro and think everything has to change. If you look back at my swing as an amateur and look again at it today – it's exactly the same 22 years on. You don't have to change to succeed. I came through within a couple of years as an amateur into the pro ranks. If you're not doing it in two or three years then either change or think about something else. I gave myself that amount of time and if it hadn't worked, if I'd been 50th or 60th, then I'd have done something else."

He didn't, of course, and since making his debut against the Americans at Kiawah in 1991, the Scot has averaged more points in each of his eight appearances, 2.93 points per match, than any other European. Now he has to cope without any involvement in the match which has defined his career.

"I was with some of Aberdeen Asset's clients today, and it struck me this is my first shot as a non-Ryder Cup player," he admitted. "I almost expected that I wouldn't get in. I was fourth or fifth on that list for wild cards. It's an era that's broken, like not winning the Order of Merit in 2000 after collecting seven in a row. I was fifth that year and it was a shock I hadn't won.

"I've played in eight matches since 1991, and not being part of the side at Valhalla, will be different, of course it will. But that just gives me added determination to get back in the side when qualifying starts in autumn of next year for the 2010 match."