We all know that Jose Maria Olazabal now has less than two weeks to accept the 2010 captaincy for the European Ryder Cup squad.  Or do we?

As it turns out, Colin Montgomerie may suddenly be the man for the job in 2010.  He also may be announced as the man for 2012.  Even more, it may be announced that either Monty or Ollie could be the next captain for 2010 and the other would be the 2012 captain, pending upon how each is playing going into the 2010 event.  Confused?

Derek Lawrenson tries to explain.

Monty and Ollie should be the next two captains and it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that there could be a double announcement when the skipper is named in Dubai in a fortnight - with the former pencilled in for Celtic Manor and the Spaniard appointed for America in 2012.

'Expect something innovative,' said one committee member, mischievously. Naming both might come with the intriguing bonus that the names could be flipped should either start playing well when the race to make the team begins in September.

Why not co-captains?

This Monty quote should have been a clue in that Lyle wasn't getting the job and that he may take it sooner than his self-appointment in 2014.

"We found last time with Faldo's situation that you do lose as a captain over 50 [is this bad news for the 50-year-old Sandy Lyle] a sense of what's happening with the youngsters, a feeling of what's going on."

Why is this a clue? Monty would be 51 when he hypothetically captains the 2014 team. And Monty never excludes himself from any discussion.