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Thursday May 14, 2009

Monty gets more options

LONDON: European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie will have an extra wildcard for next year’s match against the United States, the players’ committee decided on Tuesday.

Since 1995, Europe’s team has been made up of 10 qualifiers and two wildcards but that will be changed to a 9+3 system for next year, a tour spokesman told Reuters.

“I’m leaving the meeting delighted that I have one more option,” Montgomerie told reporters. “I’m very, very confident and very happy that I got what I was looking for, which was one more option.”

Montgomerie had hinted he would request a change and push for more say over wildcards after being selected as captain earlier this year for the biennial match against the U.S. holders at Celtic Manor, Wales in 2010.

The new system was agreed at a meeting of the European Tour players’ committee in County Louth, two days before the start of the Irish Open.

Four of the automatic selections will come from the world points list and five from the European points list, the spokesman said.

Previous US captain Paul Azinger persuaded officials to change their system from 10+2 to 8+4 ahead of their victory over Europe in Louisville, Kentucky last year.

Corey Pavin will replace Azinger as skipper in 2010. — Reuters

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