Former U.S. Masters champion Fred
Couples urged Colin Montgomerie to play on the American tour next year
despite the verbal abuse hurled at him by U.S. fans at last weekend's Ryder
Cup.
"I hope Monty won't be holding
any long-term grievance and cancelling U.S. tour events," the American
said on Wednesday, the day before the start of the German Masters.
"In fact, I wish he'd play more
next year over in the States."
Couples said that Montgomerie,
like Australia's Greg Norman, had suffered abuse for years because he was
good and hence people picked on him.
"It's hard to earn respect when
you have a tag on you. He's certainly got the respect of the players and
the Ryder Cup was nothing at all to do with anyone disliking anyone as
far as the team was concerned," Couples added.
Montgomerie came under a vitriolic
attack from a small section of fans all week during the Americans' narrow
win at Brookline. The European number one has insisted that the problem
must be addressed by the American golfing authorities.
Montgomerie
has pulled out of the Tiger Woods-backed Williams World Championship held
at Scottsdale starting in December, citing family commitments as his reason
for not playing.
While Montgomerie one does not
want to talk any more about the barracking he got last week, Couples did.
Couples, who narrowly missed earning
a wild card for the American team, watched the Ryder Cup on television.
He said he was disgusted at some of the antics at Brookline.
"Drink was the major problem.
The calling-out was by about 15 people at the start but then, as the day
wore on and the drink took over, it was about 1,500 people," Couples said.
"I've played in Europe for Ryder
Cups and I've never had anything like that happen to me but I guess you
have to take it in your stride when they start yelling."
"The
guy (Leonard) made a bomb for a putt and a few players got carried away,"
Couples said. "It kind of overshadowed the win.
"But I don't think any of this
is going to affect what happens at The Belfry in two years time. Everything
will have cooled down by then."
Couples lines up in Germany alongside
Montgomerie, who can extend his huge lead at the top of Europe's order
of merit by winning the $300,000 first prize. It would be Montgomerie's
sixth win of the year.
The Scot's nearest challenger
on the European Tour, Lee Westwood, withdrew from the German event on Wednesday
as did Paul Lawrie, Darren Clarke and Jesper Parnevik.
Only eight of Europe's Ryder Cup
team will feature in the Cologne tournament.
