Lewine Mair - stupidly bought out by the Telegraph in the UK - has landed some stateside work with ESPN.com.  Mair writes about Colin Montgomerie. I have another post about the ridiculous nature of most of the piece.  But, there is some small value to it.

Mair goes on to discuss how valuable of an asset Monty is to the European Tour because of how well he does in pro-ams.

As a pro-am companion, the Scot is in a league of his own. Give Montgomerie, say, a party of Korean or Chinese CEOs -- European Tour officials always send him out with the people who matter most -- and he will bridge the language gap via golf. He will notice everyone's shots and, where necessary, gently chide someone on his bunker play before giving him a demonstration which will be as humorous as it is helpful. What's more, he'll make his playing partners feel that he is every bit as interested in the team's performance as they are.

In a reference to how Monty is always part of a key pro-am group, Kinnings says quite simply that the European Tour "is smart enough and savvy enough" to make the best possible use of its assets. "Monty will always do a good job on their behalf."

Speaking for himself, Monty explains his attitude toward playing in pro-ams. "The days when a player could go out for a pro-am and not talk to any of his partners -- something which used to happen -- have long since gone. Especially in the current economic climate, you have got to be prepared to give more of yourself, not just for your own sake but for the sake of the Tour as a whole."

If Monty understands the critical nature of sponsor butt-kissing, then why don't more PGA Tour guys do that kind of thing?  They lack that ability (or desire) to the point that Tim Finchem had to create a five minute video and distribute it to players to beg them to do more for the Tour and play a deeper schedule.

We've talked about the need for pro-am networking that compelled the LPGA Tour to overstep its bounds with its English proficiency program.  I have seen LPGA Tour players firsthand at pro-ams.  By and large, they understand the importance of these opportunities in the same way that Monty appears to get it.

There's a cynical angle in all of this.  Monty is trying to shape his "legacy" so that he can secure a Ryder Cup captaincy for 2014.  He's gone so far as to try to line up Sandy Lyle and Jose Maria Olazabal as captains for the next two Cups.  That would give him about four years to make himself look like an appealing selection for Captain.

It's no mystery how well Monty is liked, though.  The European team really seemed to miss his presence at the Cup and his rapport with much of the British media is actually pretty sterling.  His American image needs to be reformed somewhat, but he has always reminded me of the Scottish on-course version of Phil Mickelson.

For one, I am more inclined to believe that Monty will one day captain a Ryder Cup team than I am Philly Mick.