Wait Until The Chicagoans Boo Him: Monty Thinks 9-11 Changed Ryder Cup Galleries, Until Maybe This Week
/The 2010 and self-presumed 2014 European captain might have a point, but just wait until the catcalls come out as he is driven around Medinah or, God helps us, he tries to climb the stairs to Golf Channel's Live At The Ryder Cup set where he's working as a commentator in addition to his Sky Sports work.
"There is a risk," Montgomerie said. "I think the world changed. I mean the Ryder Cup and sporting events, when America played internationally, changed since 9/11.
"America realised we were their allies, their great allies, but that was 11 years ago and time moves on. Everything moves on and I have a slight fear that it is going to be very difficult for us Europeans to perform to our potential in a very difficult place to be."
Maybe Monty's been to a Cubs game after all!
"I think that what you find is that playing away from home in America when they want it [the Ryder Cup] back is a difficult place to have to play golf and I do hope that everyone realises that and allows the Europeans to play to their potential. Unfortunately, on the Sunday of the Ryder Cup in 1999, that wasn't available to us."
Just not letting that one go, are they?
On a lighter note, Tom English shares a fun Monty/Paul Lawrie first tee/clueless referee story from the '99 Ryder Cup that you won't want to miss.
“The referee comes up to us and let’s just say he’s a fair age. He introduces himself to Monty and says ‘You know Colin, I’m Scotch’ and Monty goes ‘Scotch? It’s a drink, it’s a drink. Scotch. It’s a drink’. You know the way he goes on repeating himself. ‘It’s a drink, it’s a drink’. This is two minutes before I’m supposed to hit it. Then the guy takes out pictures of his grandkids and shows them to us and, to be fair, this wasn’t helping the situation. I’m usually nervous on a first tee but that tee was frightening.
“So I’m trying to get my head round things and then Monty gets a fit of the giggles. He’s on the back of the tee and he’s losing it. I’ve never seen him laugh like that before. His own nerves, his nerves for me, the guy with the pictures – he’s completely lost it. Anything but a fresh air I’d have taken. In my life I never felt like that standing over a golf ball."
