Montgomerie Was Announced Captain, But What Wasn't Announced?

Colin Montgomerie was named the 2010 Ryder Cup captain today in a move that has been expected for a couple of weeks.  After publicly saying that captains over the age of 50 would be too old for today's European stars, he ruined his chances of being captain in 2014 at Gleneagles - he would be 51 then.  But, up until his subtle self-promotion for 2010, Jose Maria Olazabal was the leading candidate for the 2010 job.

With the emergence of Montgomerie as a 2010 selection, it was also rumored that Olazabal would be simultaneously named as the 2012 captain for the matches in the United States.  No mention of 2012 was made in today's announcement and Jose Maria was nowhere in the proceedings.

That strikes me as almost equally as important as the promotion of Monty to captain four years ahead of his own schedule.

Players on the committee that installed Montgomerie today as captain had been very active in the media saying that Olazabal could have the job if he wanted it.  He had earned it as a two time Masters champion.  They were even willing to offer him a switcheroo appointment if he were able to make the team in 2010.  Still, he was not a part of the announcement today.

That leads me to believe that Ollie wants no part of being Ryder Cup captain now, in 2012, or maybe ever.

At this point in his life, Jose Maria is of the mindset that he may still be able to play his way onto the 2010 team.  For the record, Monty thinks he could make the 2012 team at age 49.  While that is unlikely, that would not preclude him from taking the 2012 job.

He is also a dear friend of Seve Ballesteros, his fellow countryman who is battling brain cancer.  It has reportedly been an emotionally trying experience for Olazabal.  Again, though, the 2012 match is more than three years into the future.  No matter the outcome of Ballesteros' fight, it will likely have been resolved by then.

So, then, does Ollie even want the job?  Certainly it is his right to claim given his impact on the game in Spain and his tremendous success as a player.  But, along with the captaincy comes scrutiny, meetings, and lots of pressure.  He would invariably be compared to Seve.  It's a privileged job, but also a high stress one - particularly in Europe.

You and I both saw everything in the European media about simply selecting a captain.  We also saw the vitriol toward Nick Faldo for failing to retain the Cup.  If I were Ollie, I would think twice too about signing up for that job.