Stars shun Monty’s appeal
COLIN Montgomerie’s plea for Europe’s top golfers to get 100 per cent behind his Ryder Cup campaign has fallen on some deaf ears.
Half-a-dozen stay-away stars are threatening to devalue this month’s Vivendi (formerly Seve) Trophy in Versailles as a dress rehearsal for taking on the USA at Celtic Manor next year.
Montgomerie and the captains he picked for the event – Paul
McGinley and Thomas Bjorn – are expected to name the two teams to play in France when the qualification tables close at the end of the Mercedes Benz Championship in Cologne on Sunday night.
McGinley, however, has already been told by Lee Westwood
and Justin Rose that they do not intend to play, while Padraig Harrington and Ian Poulter will be tied up with the Fedex Trophy play-offs in America to travel to Paris.
Bjorn, his side already weakened by injuries to Martin Kaymer and last year’s European No1 Robert Karlsson, has been told Sergio Garcia will not be taking up his place in the Continental side.