Colin Montgomerie slammed the singles strategy of European captain Nick Faldo after the United States's decisive victory in the Ryder Cup last week.

The Americans regained the team golf trophy, competed for every two years, by the convincing margin of 16.5 points to 11.5 points at the Valhalla course in Kentucky.

It was the first time since 1989 that Montgomerie, a key member of several successful European sides, had not been involved after he controversially failed to be chosen as one of Faldo's wildcard picks.

The Scot was scathing about Faldo's line-up for the final day's singles which began with Europe, who'd held the Ryder Cup since 2002 and were bidding for a fourth straight win, two points behind their hosts.

Faldo, a six-times Major winner, left the in-form Ian Poulter, Europe's leading points contributor in Valhalla, the experienced Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington, this year's British Open and US PGA champion, in the bottom three pairings.

Unfortunately for the English golf great, they all became irrelevant to the last day destiny of the trophy because the Americans got to the winning-mark of 14.5 points while the trio were still on the course and in fact won with four matches to spare (Graeme McDowell was playing in the other singles tie).

"The line-up of the singles was very important being 9-7 down. Very important. It had to be absolutely bang-on right," Montgomerie, speaking at the Belfry ahead of the British Masters, which starts here on Thursday, said.

"It occurred to me that unfortunately Poulter and Westwood and Harrington are possibly our three strongest players and they might not — might, but might not — be included in the final shake-up.

"If they had been playing higher up they absolutely would have been included in the shake-up of what happened."

Northern Ireland's McDowell, one of two European team members taking part in the British Masters, together with defending champion Westwood, who had a fine return on his Ryder Cup debut of two wins and a half from four matches, agreed Faldo had made a mistake with the singles' line-up.

"We were very conscious that it might not get to the bottom matches," McDowell said.

"We thought we had a strong team on paper and when we saw the draw we were happy.

"Obviously it didn't get to the last matches so it was the wrong line-up."

Montgomerie added: "Once in the whole history of the Ryder Cup (since the old Great Britain and Ireland team were transformed into Europe) has number 12 (the last singles tie) ever mattered and it was (Bernhard) Langer in 1991 against Hale Irwin.

"That's the only time that number 12 has mattered."

The German's missed putt on the last hole of the final tie gave the Americans the trophy.

Meanwhile, Westwood, who struck a final round 65 to win the British Masters last year, said he felt "shattered, quite flat" after his Ryder Cup efforts. However, the Englishman, currently fourth in the European Order of Merit, added: "But it helps I'm defending champion, it helps I like the golf course, it helps I'm playing an hour from where I live.

"And you've got the goal of trying to win the Order of Merit in my sights as well," said Westwood, trying to overhaul standings leader Harrington.

AFP

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