Montgomerie might seek golf advice from soccer legend

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Now that Colin Montgomerie has been named captain of Europe’s Ryder Cup team for the 2010 competition in Wales, where is he going to get his inspiration?

From Sam Torrance, who captained Europe to its 2002 victory over the U.S., Montgomerie told BBC’s Radio 5 Live.

And where did Torrance get his inspiration?

From none other than Alex Ferguson and Sven-Goran Eriksson, who in 2002 were, respectively, the coaches of Manchester United and the England national team.

‘I might well be doing the same thing,’ Montgomerie said.

Ferguson is Britain’s most successful soccer coach of all time, the Scot having won 23 trophies in 23 years with Manchester United.

Eriksson is now the coach of Mexico’s national team.

What did they tell Torrance that they might also tell Montgomerie, if he asks?

‘I can tell you it was very useful, but I can’t tell you what it was they told me,’ Torrance said at the time. ‘I wondered if there were any secrets there. And there were, but I’m not telling you.’

-- Grahame L. Jones