• Ryder Cup

Montgomerie reveals 'Plan B'

ESPN staff
August 27, 2010
Colin Montgomerie is '99 per cent' confident that Lee Westwood will be fit for the Ryder Cup © Getty Images
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Colin Montgomerie has revealed he is considering having a 13th man on call in case of injuries to his Ryder Cup team.

The European captain will name his three wildcards on Sunday evening, with Paul Casey, Luke Donald, Justin Rose and Padraig Harrington all hoping for a captain's pick after failing to qualify automatically.

Although Montgomerie is '99 per cent sure' that Lee Westwood will recover from his calf injury in time, the captain is hedging his bets and will have a substitute ready in case the world No. 3 is not fit.

"Taking a 13th man hasn't been done before, but I am always quite surprised there isn't a substitute, especially when it is in the States," Montgomerie said in The Telegraph. "I've always felt it has been an omission over the years especially when you have someone injured going into the matches as Lee is currently."

Montgomerie also admitted he had performed a tactical U-turn and had agreed with US captain Corey Pavin to kick off the competition with fourballs.

Montgomerie had initially favoured starting with the foursomes format, but with at least four uncapped players in his line-up (Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Ross Fisher, Francesco Molinari) - he has opted for the safer option.

"Foursomes is the most difficult form of golf and I had a gut feeling it might favour us this time, but it's easier to get new caps involved straightaway in fourballs," he said. "Recent results also suggest it works better for us, so that's what I went for when I signed the captains agreement."

Europe's four victories in the last six matches have all come with the opening session being fourballs - and America's two wins came the match started with foursomes.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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