BERNHARD Langer, who handed Colin Montgomerie a wild card selection at the 2004 Ryder Cup, suggested yesterday the Scot's exceptional experience in the match against the USA might sway captain Nick Faldo at the end of this year's qualifying race – but only if the eight-time Order of Merit winner shows improved form over the next month.
Langer reckons the Scot is already in contention for a pick at 15th on the European points list, but shares the view, expressed by fellow former captains Sam Torrance and Ian Woosnam earlier this week, that Monty needs to do more.
"If he's far aw
ay, then it's going to be harder to pick him," said the German. "But if he's very close to that automatic tenth spot, then it would be more obvious to pick someone with his record and his experience than to pick a rookie or somebody else. He's not too far away."
Langer added that he felt his decision to select Montgomerie was fully justified in Detroit. "Definitely," he recalled. "I wouldn't pick anybody if I didn't think he was an asset and a good player. I had a very tough choice. There were about five players. I would have liked to take more, but I could only take two with me.
"I think that's one of the hardest things a Ryder Cup captain faces, to call those people or to meet them face-to-face and say you're not going to be part of it.
"I don't envy Nick, because I had to go through that. And, you know, as a player, I personally experienced it with Mark James when he didn't pick me (at Brookline in 1999]. It just depends what you're looking for as a captain and what type of golf course you play, as well."
One of the most inspired leaders ever to captain Europe, Langer, 50, was noncommittal about the prospect of returning to help out behind the scenes at future stagings of the match. "I don't know," he replied. " I haven't been approached."
The bookmakers' favourite at 13/2 to win the Senior Open at Troon, Langer is the No 1 player on the US senior money list this season with earnings of over $1.4 million. Paired with fellow former Masters champions Ian Woosnam and Mark O'Meara at 1.40pm, the German is keen to savour a success on the British linksland which escaped him in the Open.
"I guess it would be the next best thing to winning an Open," added Langer. "I felt I outplayed Seve Ballesteros by numerous shots in 1984 at St Andrews, and he beat me by two in the end."
The full article contains 451 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
