Getting to know the full Monty
Colin Montgomerie never won a major but he is proud of his many other achievements on the course - particularly in the Ryder Cup - and prouder still of his charity work that honours his late mother
Eight-time member of Europe's team, unbeaten in singles matches, winner five times as a player and once as captain: Colin Montgomerie thought he'd seen everything the Ryder Cup had to offer. Then came the Miracle of Medinah.
"It's just amazing isn't it, the Ryder Cup, it keeps on getting better and better," the Scot told the Sunday Morning Post, becoming more and more animated with each recollection. "Just when you think it couldn't outdo the last performance, it goes and does. You can't write the script half the time, it's amazing. To be 10-4 down in America on a course that was built for them, set up for them, their team playing extremely well - no chance at 10-4 down, no chance.
"They [the US] needed four [and a half] more points out of what, the last 14 games [including the last two fourballs on the Saturday which Europe won]. And they got three-and-a-half out of 14 which is quite extraordinary. For us to do this away from home was a phenomenal achievement. All credit to [captain Jose Maria] Olazabal and his backroom team and all the players involved."
Part of the commentary team for UK television, the studio became filled with growing incredulity as Montgomerie and his colleagues realised what they were seeing.
"There was a sense of disbelief," he said. "I was with Butch Harmon who's obviously a little bit biased towards the Americans and he had it [forecast] at 17-11, I think. And that was generally what people were thinking, which would have been a heavy victory. I had it a bit closer, I had it 16-12, but that's all I could see. There were six games that all needed to go in Europe's favour and they all went, that's just inconceivable for that to happen."