I didn’t at Oak Hill, I didn’t think it was an honour then, more like hell.” Will he be playing five times, as he has done in the last five matches? “If it helps the team, then yes. If there is any reason why not, then I’ll talk to Bernard and I’ll be the first to say so.”What about Padraig Harrington, the leading European player on the world rankings, saying he did not feel it was his job to lead the team, that was for Monty? “I believe that is still my role, but at the same time if he wants to help by getting a few points that would be great He’s not a junior member of the team. “I can’t speak for the rookies, but even going into this for the seventh time, after 14 bloody years of this, there is still excitement and anticipation, of course there is. But at the opening ceremony there was a small but significant moment when Torrance, introducing his players, announced him simply, informally but affectionately, as “Monty” to the roars of the crowd.So despite everything – his form in Germany was shrugged off with a “nothing much wrong, just a bit of timing with the driver, not to worry” – the former European No 1 is resolutely positive and cheerful.

Ian Poulter tells a good story, but I won’t want to find him 10 minutes before his tee-off.”We all suffer, of course we do. He has an important part to play, along with everyone else.”Montgomerie has emphasised to the five rookies in the team that the more questions they ask the better. But the experience is one that everyone has to go through for themselves “You can’t explain it You have to go through it You’d be surprised if the rookies aren’t nervous. On the Friday morning, on the first tee, it’s not how’s your form but whether you can stand up”.So how would he like to hit the first shot, as he did at Oak Hill in ‘95? “If that’s the case, it would be an honour You won’t sleep for a couple of nights.

Hence his observation that “form goes out the window at the Ryder Cup. But there are times when certainty, and denial, are important characteristics for a sportsman. When you put on the team uniform and go to the airport on Monday you feel very honoured indeed, and that should never change and never will.”As an intelligent man, Montgomerie is fully aware of the absurdities of professional sport and the behaviour it can induce in him. Leading off the singles order on Sunday was the most obvious way in which Torrance emphasised Montgomerie’s role as “King of the Castle”. Since The Open he has lost 34 pounds following a new diet and fitness regime, while making a seventh appearance in the Ryder Cup became his goal.Both campaigns have brought positive feedback to bolster his self-esteem. He enjoys the compliments his appearance has brought, but he has had no more important conversation of late than when Bernhard Langer, the Ryder Cup captain, asked to see the Scot following the last qualifying event in Munich two weeks ago and offered him a wild-card place for Oakland Hills this week. “When Bernhard told me I was obviously thrilled,” he said.”But what was more thrilling was what he said to me after that.

He said he asked all the players on the team about me and they all said that they wanted me to play. But the City is still getting nervous about the sector, and some smaller housebuilders have been hit as traders have reached for the “sell” button.Partly due to its unreconstructed image, the housebuilding industry has never been a favourite of the stock market. He played well for three days during an emotional week on home ground at Royal Troon but, still coming to terms with the break-up of his 14-year marriage to Eimear, he was never a contender for the Claret Jug.
At the High Court on Friday, the “quickie” divorce came through, his “unreasonable behaviour” recorded for posterity A new life has already begun, however. Aged 41, just divorced, coming off a missed cut at the German Masters, yet, despite all that, this Ryder Cup has come exactly at the right time for Colin Montgomerie Even if he has not got a date for the Gala Dinner A couple of months ago it would have been too early. In its results for the first six months of the year, the company reported a 28.6 per cent increase in profits to £118.2m on a £592.9m turnover. He says this won’t affect his chances of securing sites because most other major housebuilders have taken similar steps.Certainly, there are no signs of a slowdown appearing in Wilson Bowden’s finances. “I felt the statement pushed the market down further than necessary.”Robertson has taken some defensive measures to protect Wilson Bowden from a slowing housing market.