• Out of Bounds

There's no need for Monty to speak to Faldo

Is there a storm brewing over Colin Montgomerie and Sir Nick Faldo? © Getty Images

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Colin Montgomerie has insisted he did not snub Sir Nick Faldo's offer of a pre-Ryder Cup conflab.

The Scot responded to comments from Faldo which appeared in a Sunday newspaper. "I didn't just want to make my views known to him through the media, so I wrote to Monty suggesting we meet up for a chat. But I have not had a reply," Faldo said. "I don't think I need say any more than that. It says it all."

Monty countered by saying, somewhat diplomatically, that their paths had not crossed, but hoped they would in the future. But if we are being honest, why should they get together?

Montgomerie is the captain for the 2010 Ryder Cup and he is making his own preparations and by all accounts he is being pretty meticulous in his approach. As such, it should be Monty's decision and Monty's decision alone if he wants to seek out the advice of the man he succeeded.

There is little love lost between Faldo and Montgomerie, two world-class players who were the dominant forces in their generations. Ego is likely to be playing a part here, but Faldo no longer has anything to do with the Ryder Cup. He had his shot at Valhalla in 2008 but saw the trophy slip back into the hands of the USA for the first time since the infamous battle of Brookline in 1999.

If Faldo sent a letter to Montgomerie offering his advice, it is all credit to him. But it is up to Montgomerie to decide if he wants to take up the offer. As such it is disappointing to see Faldo make public that he had not received any contact from the Scot.

And quite what advice Faldo could offer Montgomerie is not immediately obvious. Perhaps he would have a word in Monty's ear to tell him not to write down his opening pairings on a piece of paper for all the world's media to see and then attempt to pass this off by saying it is the sandwich orders. Now they would be wise words to heed. But what else would be on offer, Out of Bounds cannot work out.

Montgomerie has a fabulous record in Ryder Cups and the competition is close to his heart. As such he is making every effort to ensure his team is in the best possible shape for Celtic Manor in October. And if he feels speaking to Faldo will help, there is no doubt he will. But if he doesn't, that is his decision to make.

Corey Pavin proved he can still compete with the big hitters on the right track © Getty Images

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Find a happy medium
Montgomerie's opposite number Corey Pavin is in the spotlight on the other side of the Atlantic, following his near miss at the Travelers Championship. Bubba Watson is the longest hitter on the PGA Tour, Pavin certainly is not, but the pair slugged it out in the final holes to prove that there is still a place for the shot makers in this era of the big hitters.

Watson went some way to shedding his image of nearly man when getting the better of Pavin and Scott Verplank in a three-way play-off - with Pavin regularly 100 yards behind off the tee. At 150 yards short of 7,000 yards, the TPC River Highlands is a course that does not knock out those who rely more on precision than power.

You can understand the argument for the need to lengthen courses, given the advancement in technology in recent years. We saw Watson force his way into the play-off courtesy of an 18th-hole birdie - which was set up by a 396-yard tee shot. Yes you read that correctly, a 396-yard smote down the fairway.

Watson, Alvaro Quiros, Dustin Johnson and JB Holmes are some of the game's big boomers. They are great to watch, it makes great TV to see the players pick up the big stick and launch it into the horizon. But the plan should not be to combat those players, it should be to embrace what they do and hand them a fresh challenge, while still allowing the Pavins, the Brad Faxons and the Tim Clarks of this world to compete.

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