A Sportsman and Statesman
Colin Montgomerie is one of his generation’s most recognisable and endearing sports stars.
For the last 15 years, Montgomerie has been considered the undisputed leading European golfer. He is one of Britain’s most admired athletes, has been awarded an OBE (Officer of the British Empire), and has held centre stage in numerous tournament victories and in eight titanic Ryder Cup struggles of the 1990s and 2000s. In 1993, he became Europe’s No. 1, a position he retained for an unprecedented run of seven years. He has now won more European Tour tournaments than any British golfer in history, and has consistently ranked amongst the best since moving into the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking in 1994, rightly proving himself to be one of the world’s most consistent golfers during the 1990s.
In 2005, Montgomerie returned to the No. 1 spot in Europe for a record eighth time at the age of 42, after an emotional second place at The Open and a very popular win at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Throughout the decade—in 2002, 2004 and 2006—Montgomerie has led The European Ryder Cup teams to victory, emerging as a figurehead when his self-control and outstanding performances drew accolades from across the sporting spectrum. Montgomerie has been selected as European Ryder Cup captain for 2010 and has pledged to return the Cup to Europe: “This is obviously one of the proudest moments I can think of. I am not just honoured…it’s a huge responsibility as well. I promise you I’ll be doing everything I can to claim back The Ryder Cup in 2010.”
In addition to being one of the game’s best-known competitors, he is seen as an ambassador for Scottish, British and European golf. Montgomerie’s golf design business is flourishing and he has numerous corporate and media commitments. He is an intelligent and articulate sportsman who has published two books in the last four years: The Thinking Man’s Guide to Golf and The Real Monty. Despite the many calls on his time, Montgomerie is a devoted father of three who supports countless charitable and junior programmes, including many that introduce people to the game of golf.