Monty: We can't give in to terror

David Smith13 April 2012

Colin Montgomerie today insisted that sport should not bow to terrorism by cancelling the Ryder Cup.

Golf's historic team trophy was scheduled to be defended by the United States against Europe at The Belfry near Birmingham later this month. But there is increased uncertainty over the match after the catastrophic attacks on New York and Washington which saw the £3 million American Express World Championship to be called off here.

Montgomerie, who is set to be the senior player on Europe's team, applauded the decision to abandon the championship event at Bellerive Country Club after the event's promoters had sought advice from the White House.

He said: "We were told there is to be a period of mourning between Friday and Sunday and you can't be seen to be playing sport on a day of mourning. And you have to consider the sponsors. How can they possibly entertain clients when the people who were coming might not be around?"

American Express have offices in lower Manhattan, where the World Trade Center collapsed following the terrorist attacks. It is feared that a number of their employees, some of whom attended a golf clinic hosted by Tiger Woods here on Monday before flying back to New York, could be among the thousands still unaccounted for.

But if this weekend is too soon after the tragedy to be playing golf for huge amounts of money, Montgomerie believes the two weeks before the three-day Ryder Cup competition starts on 28 September is adequate time for golf to plan a positive response to Tuesday's outrage. The 38-yearold Scot said: "This is what the Ryder Cup should be about - uniting us through sport.

"It is for our Professional Golf Associations and the European and US Tours to get together and see if it is feasible. But let's hope we can use the match as a positive message. Because if the Ryder Cup does get cancelled or postponed, you are allowing these terrorists to win.

"You can't allow these type of people to win. That is why I hope that the Ryder Cup does take place, to show that we can continue."

Following the controversies in the last Ryder Cup at Brookline two years ago, when American galleries hurled abuse at European players and the American team celebrated Justin Leonard's match-winning putt by running on to a green, tension-was mounting over the return fixture.

But Montgomerie claimed that British fans would now give a warm welcome to the US players. "They would definitely respond in the right way," he said.

Montgomerie is aware, however, that a major problem confronting the Ryder Cup organisers is a reluctance by some members of the US team to fly across the Atlantic following the hijackings.

Woods is expected to pull out of next week's Lancome Trophy in Paris and David Duval said he "honestly doesn't know" if he would be prepared to board a plane bound for Britain.

Meanwhile, plans are being draw up for a donation from the World Championship purse and TV revenues to be made to victims of the terrorist attacks.

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