LONDON: Following Europe’s Ryder Cup thrashing by the United States at Whistling Straits former captain Colin Montgomerie summed up neatly the challenge facing the next incumbent in the job.
“I don’t envy whoever is in charge in Rome,” the Scot, whose team won a thriller at Celtic Manor in 2010, told Britain’s talkSPORT radio station on Monday.
Padraig Harrington’s European team were simply overwhelmed by a high-powered American dozen on the shores of Lake Michigan, sinking without trace in a 19-9 defeat that is likely to mark the end for several of Europe’s stalwarts.
Most worrying, according to Montgomerie, is that the American team, whose oldest player was 37-year-old Dustin Johnson, will most likely look pretty similar in Rome in 2023.
“Sometimes in sport it’s blissfully simple, if a stronger team, which they were, and they’re playing at home, performs to its capabilities, which they did, it’s going to win,” Montgomerie said. “And that’s what happened.
“Their world rankings averaged eight and ours was 30. It was a better team and it was frightening how good they were. It’s a little bit worrying for the next couple of Ryder Cups as well as I reckon 10 or 11 of them will be in Italy in two years time.
“It’s a worry and I don’t envy the next European captain at all.
“It’s scary how good they are,” added Montgomerie.
“Dustin Johnson is their oldest player and won five points, Bryson (DeChambeau) is getting better and they have the likes of (Collin) Morikawa who was rookie but the Open champion.”
“We are in a transition period. We were in 1999 when we lost our top guys Faldo, Langer, Seve, Woosnam, Lyle.
“This is another one where the old school has probably played their last one, the Poulters, Westwoods, Caseys, they may not play again.
“It’s a transition period which has coincided with them being very good so the gap has widened.
“The US team is probably the best team ever assembled.” – Reuters
