BROOK LINE AND SINKER
Lawrie: I called Monty’s bluff and told him first shot at Ryder Cup would be a breeze
When Paul Lawrie was crowned Open champion 21 years ago this weekend it earned him a Ryder Cup debut – and the chance to noise up Colin Montgomerie.
Having famously commented that if anyone had told him beforehand that a Scot would win the Open he would have assumed it would be him, Monty was forced to take it on the chin when his rival captured the biggest prize in golf.
But Lawrie wasn’t f inished getting his own back when the duo were paired in the foursomes and fourballs at Brookline a couple of months later.
The Aberdeen ace recalled: “We were playing a practice round when the captain Mark James arrived along with Sam Torrance and Ken Brown and Monty went off to chat to them.
“When he came back he informed me that he had decided – which effectively meant Mark had decided – that I would tee off on the odd holes.
“We knew we were in the first match so I realised immediately that I’d be hitting the opening shot in the Ryder Cup.
“But in case I hadn’t already twigged Monty asked me if I realised what that meant.
“I replied: ‘ Yeah, yeah, it’s not a problem’ and carried on putting while all the time I was thinking: ‘Oh, my God.’
“Monty then said that he had thought I would be more stressed out by the idea.
“But I turned to him and said: ‘ Well, Colin, when you’ve won a major championship hitting the opening tee shot in the Ryder Cup is not a problem!’.
“It was a wind-up, of course. But you can imagine his reaction.
“Inwardly, I was thinking it was the last place I wanted to be but it’s great to be able to say I hit the opening tee shot at a Ryder Cup.”
Lawr ie and Monty won two-and-a-half points from their four matches.
And Lawrie said: “Monty was probably the best player in the world at that time.
“I don’t think he missed a putt inside 10 feet all that week and his iron play was superb.
“I was also putting lovely and he was holing them for fun. So it was a great experience playing with Monty every day and we got on pretty well too.
“But standing on the first tee was nerve-wracking, even after winning an Open. Everything was shaking knowing there were millions watching on TV.
“I just pushed my tee a little down the right into semi rough but Monty said not to worry.
“Phil Mickelson missed the fairway by 50 yards left. It was nerve-wracking but great fun and there is no better feeling than being part of a Ryder Cup. It’s was amazing.”
Following an absence of 13 years, Lawrie made it back into the European team at the age of 43 in 2012.
“Brookline and Medinah were complete opposites,” he said. “In 1999 we led 10- 6 going into the singles and lost. Then, in 2012 we trailed 10- 6 and won.
“Brookline was hostile because of the fans but Medinah was amazing, just magical.”
It was Lawrie’s stunning 5&3 win against Brandt Snedeker in the singles that sparked Europe’s remarkable comeback.
He added: “I was six-under-par for 15 holes and it was the best I’ve ever played in match-play.”