Monty ups ante for Ryder Cup hopefuls

Colin Montgomerie has upped the ante for Ryder Cup hopefuls looking to make the team for the 2010 Ryder Cup match against the United States.

Montgomerie revealed players will be asked to compete in three specific events – the PGA Championship at Wentworth, the Wales Open at Celtic Manor and the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.

The Johnnie Walker Championship is the final points-counting event before the Ryder Cup team is decided and Monty believes his team may not be decided until the final few putts are struck at the Perthshire venue.

“Places eight, nine, ten, eleven, they could come down to the last few putts here next year.” Montgomerie told reporters ahead of this year’s tournament, which gets underway on Thursday.

“It shows current form and that’s what we are after, leading into the Ryder Cup… I’ll be watching very closely how people react to certain pressures coming down the last few holes at the Wales Open especially,” Montgomerie said.

The qualification process for the Ryder Cup team begins at next week’s European Masters tournament in Switzerland and also the Deutsche Bank tournament in Boston.

The European team will comprise of four players from a world points list and five from a European points list. Montgomerie, as captain, will select the remaining three players.