Monty names Olly as Ryder Cup assistant

Colin Montgomerie, the captain of the European team for the 2010 Ryder Cup match at Celtic Manor has named Spaniard and former team-mate Jose-Maria Olazabal as his assistant for next year’s competition… but only if Olazabal fails to qualify for the team as a playing member.

Montgomerie sees the Ryder Cup veteran as an ideal candidate for the job as he bids to wrest the Ryder Cup back from the United States at the Welsh venue and Olazabal, who has notched up seven Ryder Cup appearances has accepted Monty’s call to join his backroom team should he fail to rack up the necessary points to allow him to participate as a member of the playing team. Of the appointment, Montgomerie said:

“The No1 guy that I’ve always wanted since we first met, believe it or not, back in 1984 is José María Olazábal… I’d like him to be part of the team. He has come to me – and I appreciate that – and said he wants to try to be playing. But if not he has accepted and I have taken it on board that he will be part of the back team.”

Olazabal was Nick Faldo’s vice-captain in the Ryder Cup match at Valhalla, which the United States won and was rumoured to be mulling over throwing his own hat into the ring for the captaincy to succeed Faldo. Olazabal is now expected to take over the role from Montgomerie for the 2012 renewal in Chicago