USA: THE EUROPEAN RYDER CUP TEAM IS HOPING COLIN MONTGOMERIE'S IMPRESSIVE MATCH PLAY RECORD CONTINUES THIS WEEK

Record ID: 588539

  • Title: USA: THE EUROPEAN RYDER CUP TEAM IS HOPING COLIN MONTGOMERIE'S IMPRESSIVE MATCH PLAY RECORD CONTINUES THIS WEEK
  • Date: 15th September 2004
  • Summary: (S1) OAKLAND HILLS COUNTRY CLUB, BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES (SEPTEMBER 15, 2004) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. WIDE OF COURSE 2. GIANT VIDEO SCREEN 3. EUROPEAN TEAM PHOTO/CLOSE UP EUROPEAN CAPTAIN BERNHARD LANGER WITH THE RYDER CUP 4. PHOTOGRAPHERS 5. AMERICAN TEAM PHOTO BEING TAKEN/ CLOSE UP TIGER WOODS 6. COLIN MONTGOMERIE WALKING OUT TO DRIVING RANGE/CROWDS WATCHING/MONTGOMERIE HITS DRIVE 7. WIDE SHOT NEWS CONFERENCE 8. (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN TEAM CAPTAIN BERNHARD LANGER SAYING: "Colin is totally committed to the team. He's not here with his ego and he's not here to win four or five points so he can say he is the best player. He's here to win 14 1/2 points for our team and take home the trophy. That's what makes him so good and that's why the other guys accept him. When he was the leading player on seven money lists he was the same player as he is now. When he's playing in the Ryder Cup he's playing for the team and he wants the team to do well and the guys can feel that and that's great." 9. MONTGOMERIE ON PRACTICE ROUND 10. (SOUNDBITE)(English) COLIN MONTGOMERIE SAYING: "This competition is what it is because there are two great teams playing here that are well matched and it wouldn't be a competition if it wasn't for the other side and we have to remember that and let's hope good golf is applauded. I know its a clich but let's hope golf wins again here this week." 11. DARREN CLARK CHIPS IN FROM A BUNKER 12. (SOUNDBITE)(English) DARREN CLARK SAYING: "The last time at the Belfry he raised his game and played unbelievable golf and a lot of us are looking for him to do the same again. He knows what to expect as do a few of us, but hopefully his experience will prove invaluable to the team." 13. MONTGOMERIE WITH TEAMMATES AT PHOTO SHOOT 14. COURSE 15. TEE SHOT ON 17TH HOLE 16. SERGIO GARCIA SIGNS AUTOGRAPHS 17. DARREN CLARKE SIGNS AUTOGRAPHS 18. PAUL MCGINLEY SIGNS AUTOGRAPHS 19. (SOUNDBITE)(English) ERIC HUCKE, WISCONSIN, SAYING: "The no-alcohol on the course probably helps a lot in the sense that it keeps the crowds tame or away from the action but you never know you get Europeans and Americans together, who knows what happens." 20. (SOUNDBITE)(English) DEAN BOOTE, CHELSEA MICHIGAN SAYING: "Well they're not allowing alcohol so I think that will tone it down a bit but it's the USA, they're still going to get a little unruly." 21. JIM FURYK SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS 22. TIGER WOODS TEE SHOT 23. (SOUNDBITE) (English) TERESA HANSTEIN, WISCONSIN SAYING: "I've been trying (TO GET TIGER WOODS' AUTOGRAPH tTO GET tIGER wOODS' AUTOGRAPH) for seven years now in tournaments all over the country, yeah, for seven years now and he's the only one I don't have. So I thought I'd try it with the nails. Did you hear about the guy with the tiger hat that got the autograph? I figured if he could do it I could try it with my nails." 24. TIGER WOODS WALKING UP FAIRWAY Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 30th September 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA5TJTOY270Z408CVJE8YOWKVKX
  • Story Text: The European Ryder Cup team is hoping Colin
    Montgomerie's impressive match play record continues this
    week.




    Colin Montgomerie is playing team leader, confidant
    and chief cheerleader to Europe's Ryder Cup squad this week
    and is thriving on the challenge.

    The 41-year-old Briton is one of the most successful
    players in Cup history but needed a wild card invitation
    from captain Bernhard Langer to qualify for his seventh
    team this time. Langer clearly expects Montgomerie again to
    be a formidable performer when the action gets underway on
    Friday but in the meantime is drawing heavily on his
    experience and Ryder Cup know-how for a 12-strong team
    including five rookies.

    "Colin is totally committed to the team. He's not here
    with his ego and he's not here to win 4 or 5 points so he
    can say he is the best player. He's here to win 14 1/2
    points for our team and take home the trophy. That's what
    makes him so good and that's why the other guys accept him.

    When he was the leading the on seven money lists he was the
    same player as he is now. When he's playing in the Ryder
    Cup he's playing for the team and he wants the team to do
    well and the guys can feel that and that's great," Langer
    said.

    Montgomerie has never lost one of the all-important
    final Sunday singles matches when the Cup is decided and
    was again a winner in 2002 at the Belfry when Europe won
    back the trophy.

    "The last time at the Belfry he raised his game and
    played unbelievable golf and a lot of us are looking for
    him to do the same again. He knows what to expect as do a
    few of us but hopefully his experience will prove
    invaluable to the team," teammate Darren Clarke said at a
    press conference. Montgomerie has never been able to
    recreate that kind of form in any of golf's four majors but
    still believes the Ryder Cup is the most challenging.

    The Scot has been targeted by U.S. crowds in Ryder Cup
    matches and in 1999 the abuse became so vitriolic that his
    father James withdrew from behind the ropes rather than
    endure more of it. This year a ban on alcohol has been
    imposed on most of the course in hopes of preventing unruly
    behaviour. Fans for the most part felt that a reprise of
    the atmosphere of Brookline was unlikely.

    "The no alcohol on the course probably helps a lot is a
    sense that it keeps the crowds tame but you never know you
    get Europeans and Americans together you never know what's
    going to happen," Eric Huke, a golf fan from Wisconsin
    told Reuters.

    The 35th Ryder Cup starts on Friday (September 17).



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