Since he made his debut in the so-called War on the Shore in 1991 – where with the help of a miracle putt from off the green (after 9mins 15secs of that clip) he memorably came back from four down with four to play to halve his match against Mark Calcavecchia , though Europe eventually lost the trophy as a result of Bernhard Langer's missed 18th-green putt – Montgomerie's name has become synonymous with the Ryder Cup.
His finest hour probably came in 2004, when he secured Europe's win with victory over David Toms . Last year, however, he was not involved at all after Europe's captain, Nick Faldo, picked Ian Poulter and Paul Casey instead. It was a decision Monty accepted stoically, though he went on to criticise Faldo's role in Europe's downfall. He had set his heart on captaining Europe in 2014, when the event returns to his native Scotland.
Other interesting things about Monty:
1) Robbie Williams sung at his wedding last year
2) He isn't scared of sparking the occasional controversy
3) He likes a good curry and Kit Kats
4) "I don't actually hit the ball at all"
5) Although golf footage is hard to find online, this is a good shot
6) "You've got to be strong. The weak ones don't survive."
7) He has a nice sideline in course design
