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It is time for
Padraig Harrington and Lee Westwood to take on the mantle of Europe’s
on-course Ryder Cup leaders, according to captain Colin Montgomerie.

“He (Harrington)
has been given a wildcard pick and one of the reasons was to make sure
he stepped up to the plate and to give him that vote of confidence to
say, ‘this is your time — you come forward and lead this team on the
course’,” Montgomerie told Reuters.

“I am looking to
him and Westwood to do this. Westwood has played in six Ryder Cups and
Padraig’s played five so it’s time they both stepped up,” the skipper
added on the eve of this week’s Vivendi Cup on the outskirts of Paris.

Montgomerie was
especially pleased to hear triple major winner Harrington say last week
that he was ready to accept more responsibility when Europe take on the
U.S. holders at Celtic Manor in Wales next week.

“I will take care
of everyone else around the course but it’s time for those two
(Harrington and Westwood) especially to come forward,” said the captain.

“I haven’t spoken
to Padraig at all about this so it was very nice to hear him say that
last week, and that he is prepared to open doors and speak with the
rookies and go to them himself without having to wait for me to ask
him.” Montgomerie, though, is unhappy Harrington and Swede Peter Hanson
are the only members of his 12-man team competing in this week’s pro-am
event.

Tough week

“I would have liked more to be playing here,” he told a news conference on Wednesday.

“Unfortunately
Edoardo (Molinari) had to pull out — he’s just resting really because
it’s going to be a tough week next week.” Montgomerie again defended
his decision to overlook Paul Casey as a wildcard pick even though the
Briton could capture the $10 million bonus available to the winner of
the U.S. PGA Tour’s FedExCup series on Sunday.

“I anticipated
there would be criticism over (omitting) not just Paul Casey but Justin
Rose as he also had obvious credentials to be a part of the team,” said
Europe’s skipper.

“Thank goodness
Robert Karlsson, Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson weren’t in the group
of five (candidates for wildcard picks along with eventual choices
Harrington, Molinari and Luke Donald) because that would have been
eight and it would have been worse.

“It was an impossible decision and Paul’s been very professional in what he’s been saying over in America.

“It was my decision
to try and get 14 1/2 points on the board (to win the trophy next week)
and that’s the team I feel is capable of doing that,” added Montgomerie.

“I am convinced if
they play to their potential we will win. They have got to play to
their potential because the standard of the opposition is very strong.”

By Reuters