Colin Montgomerie believes if U.S. born players are concerned about the current overwhelming European bias atop of the World Rankings they should join Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in becoming global players.
Monty was responding to suggestions among the PGA Tour rank-and-file Lee Westwood is not deserving of the World No. 1 position given the recently-turned 38-year old has not won a Major.
“It’s true Lee Westwood as Number One had hasn’t won a Major but we also have a world No. 1 in the ladies tennis as well who hasn’t won a major, “ said Monty.
“Major championships are one way or the other. I almost got to No. 1 in the world without winning a Major and if I had of won the ’97 Scottish Open at Loch Lomond I’d have been world No. 1 also without winning major.
“So it goes on performance and over two years and Lee Westwood has more points than anyone else and he deserves his place. There’s no question about it.
“What that proves is consistency and not just because you’ve won a big tournament as it is reflected in what you’ve done in all the others.
“So Lee Westwood is rightfully the best golfer in the world right now and to suggest otherwise is wrong.”
There’s been overtones of European bias ever since Westwood first went to No. 1 last November and that’s now been fuelled by his return to the top of the rankings after capturing last week’s Asian Tour’s Indonesian Masters.
It’s the first time in the 25-year history of the World Rankings Europeans enjoy the top three placings – Westwood as No. I, Germany’s Martin Kaymer at No. 2 and England’s Luke Donald at No. 3.
So Monty’s suggested to those not happy with the make-up of the rankings to do what Woods and Mickelson have done in recent years, and what Dustin Johnson is doing this week by competing in this week’s Ballantine’s Championship in Korea, and that’s to become more of a global player.
“Tiger (Woods) has always travelled about the world and been a global player, we’ve seen Phil (Mickelson) in recent years travel to European Tour events in the Far East and he was in Abu Dhabi this year which is great,” said Monty.
“But it was the Americans who dominated the world rankings for the last 10 years, so what are they really complaining about?
“They were getting more points than we were here in Europe for a long time.
“The only reason they’re complaining is that the more top ranked players you have in European events, like Dubai earlier this year and Wentworth next month, the more points you generate.
“The BMW PGA is open to the top-50 in the world whether or not you are a European Tour member or not, so if the Americans are worried about the rankings why not come to Europe and play Wentworth?”
Monty was speaking in Scotland at the launch of a new Scottish Golf Union/Scottish Ladies Golf Union joint charity initiative – ‘Monty’s Monthly Medal’ – that will be open to all 580 golf clubs in Scotland. (See earlier notes in NEWS for all details).
The inititiative will cost each golfer just £3 to enter and it is hoped to raise £1m to build two new ‘Maggie Centre’s’ in Scotland to help cancer patients.
The Stableford format event will take place on the weekend of this year’s Open Championship (July 16-17) before the top-80 play the final at The Carrick on September 19th.
And Monty, who will play a few holes with each group at The Carrick, has told those present to bring their camera’s as he will have the Ryder Cup with him.
