Europe's Ryder Cup players will struggle to sleep if they are drawn to play against Tiger Woods, according to Colin Montgomerie.
Despite failing to qualify automatically for the United States team and relying on a wild card from captain Jim Furyk, Woods has astounded with the quality of his play during his successful comeback this year from a fourth major back surgery.
That, plus his 14 majors and experience of playing in seven previous Ryder Cups - albeit with just one US win - means Woods is the one player those on Thomas Bjorn's team will most want to avoid when the first pairings are revealed at the opening ceremony on Thursday, believes Montgomerie.
Tiger Woods is the type of golfer who can turn on the style, says Colin Montgomerie
'Fancy going to bed knowing you're playing next day against, with all respect, whoever it might be... or Tiger Woods,' said Montgomerie, who was captain for Europe's memorable win at Celtic Manor in 2012 and is one of the event's greatest ever players.
'If I've gone to bed knowing I'm playing Tiger Woods, I tell you what, I haven't slept as well as if I'd known I was playing anyone else. You're talking about someone who can handle it, at the right time.'
Furyk should also consider a bold partnership of Woods and his old rival Phil Mickelson, Montgomerie added.
The all-star pair have an unhappy history together in the Ryder Cup, with Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington teaming up to beat them in the four-balls in 2004 before Lee Westwood and Darren Clarke took them down in the foursomes the same day in a symbolic double blow.
The antipathy between the men who now have 19 majors between them was all too obvious, but since Woods's latest return they have been much more friendly, even playing a practice round together at Augusta before the Masters. They will also duel for $9million in a Las Vegas exhibition in November.
Woods is back to his best and will see the Ryder Cup as a chance to put down another marker
'I think they're closer now than they've ever been,' said Montgomerie. 'If they played together now they'd be much better than they were in 2004. 150 tournaments won between them, my god. Come on, put your arm around each other and get on with it.
'I don't think Palmer and Nicklaus were great friends when they were competing but look how friendly they became as they got older. Let's hope Phil and Tiger can be that way. It'd be super to see.'
Despite the heavy artillery available to Furyk, Montgomerie is edging towards the home team reclaiming the trophy they lost at Hazeltine in 2016, thanks to the emergence of so much young European talent.
The Mickelson-Woods partnership did not work well in 2004 - they lost two out of two matches
'I fancied America very much but Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton have come into the game, and Paul Casey has put his name into the hat,' said Montgomerie.
'That's four guys of strength that Europe weren't able to select last time. Put that four in and you've got a good team, and there's Ian Poulter back on form, and it's always good to have that passion in the team room as well as on the course. So you'd have to favour Europe.'
Montgomerie singled out Hatton for special praise as someone whose combustible temperament could fight American fire.
'Tyrrell Hatton's got, what we'd say in the trade, some balls. He doesn't back off from anything, doesn't back off from a fight and he'll be a great asset.
'The Americans won't look at him as a threat but he's a guy who could hole a putt at the right time and that's so important.'
Former Ryder Cup captain Montgomerie is working with Loch Lomond Whiskies
Montgomerie, who is creating his own signature single malt with Loch Lomond Whiskies, also urged Europe captain Bjorn not to follow America's lead by 'tricking up' Le Golf National like the US did for their thumping win at Hazeltine.
'In 2016, the Americans felt they were better putters so they put the pins in the middle of the greens on Sunday and it became like a pro-am,' said Montgomerie.
'I asked the green keeper at Celtic Manor to set the course up like he did at the Welsh Open, which was fair.
'Knowing Thomas like I do I think he'll have the course set up fair and he'll allow the best team to win, and if that's Europe then great, but if that's America then you have to bow and say well played. That's the way it should be. Tricking up golf courses for certain people is not right.'
Mickelson and Woods share a laugh ahead of the Ryder Cup at Le Golf National in Paris
https://hienalouca.com/2018/09/24/tiger-woods-will-give-europes-ryder-cup-stars-sleepless-nights-says-colin-montgomerie/
Main photo article Europe’s Ryder Cup players will struggle to sleep if they are drawn to play against Tiger Woods, according to Colin Montgomerie.
Despite failing to qualify automatically for the United States team and relying on a wild card from captain Jim Furyk, Woods has astounded with the quality of...
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Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves Online news HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1/2018/09/23/22/4500510-6192861-image-a-8_1537737790388.jpg
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