Colin Montgomerie exclusive: Why I fear for Europe

America’s blend of youth and experience makes them look like a team and I fear for the Europeans

This is certainly the best American Ryder Cup team to come over to Europe since 1997 and probably since 1981. That is why I truly fear our first defeat on home soil in 25 years.

I was in that side who were beaten in 1993 and if you had told me, as we trudged away from The Belfry disconsolately, that the Stars and Stripes would not flutter so proudly above our fairways for another quarter of a century, I would have considered you completely bonkers.

It is funny, I play on the Champions Tour in America and whenever I inform the locals of that delicious stat they invariably accuse me of making it up. “But we are the dominant force in golf,” they say, “and think of all the greats we’ve had in that time. Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, David Duval, Fred Couples, Davis Love… never mind this current bunch.”

It is a record Europe should be, and are, very proud of and one we are desperate to hold on to. But looking at the talent Thomas Bjorn’s men are up against and, indeed, the tightness of this opposing squad, it is all too easy to allow the head to govern the heart and envisage a breakthrough victory in Paris.

Let’s start with their playing ability. In 1981, Dave Marr arrived at Walton Heath with nine major-winners. Tom Kite and Ben Crenshaw were later to join the major club and it was only poor Bruce Lietzke who ended without one. But even Lietzke had won three times on the PGA Tour that season.

I was 18 and travelled down to Surrey with my brother to watch and I was dazzled by legends such as Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Ray Floyd, Johnny Miller, Hale Irwin… the list went on and on. Our team did not have a prayer.

This lot can be classed in that league. Jim Furyk has equalled the record with his own nine majorwinners – as has Rickie Fowler, who has done everything but land one of the big four. Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau are bang in form and I suspect history might look back and record this US dozen all as major winners. In the here and now, they are simply awesome.

In Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas, Furyk has three major-winners who have been world No1 in the past few years – and Thomas is a rookie, for goodness’ sake. Then there is Brooks Koepka, with two majors this year as well as one in 2017, and the 2018 Masters champion, Patrick Reed, who has proven himself to be an absolute warrior in this arena.

Oh yes, I have not even mentioned Phil Mickelson yet or that other chap who goes by the name of Tiger Woods, who is reminding everyone of that redshirted wonder of yore in his incredible comeback. If you talk about the perfect mix between young and old, between exuberance and experience, then Furyk seems blessed.

Let’s now talk about the chemistry. There is a huge bond they have never had before. I mean, in our day, Ray Floyd would not go around with Lanny Wadkins and he would not go around with so and so.

Can you imagine what a nightmare that must have been for the US captain?

Nowadays, the talent actually go on holiday together – out of choice! – and it will be much, much easier for Furyk. And that includes Tiger, who was always a problem previously.

When the old Tiger was in the team room it was very much an 11 and one situation. You would play against him and his partner and think, “Well, he’s not happy playing with Tiger and Tiger’s not that happy playing with him”. One up.

That will not be the case this time. He may be 15 years or so older than his team-mates, but, I am telling you, Tiger finally craves to be one of the lads. I think he learnt a great deal as an assistant captain at Hazeltine last time and he will be a real asset as a senior player. And that makes it yet more concerning from our perspective.

Not to say that Bjorn does not have his own firepower to inspire confidence. But there are doubts over Sergio Garcia, Henrik Stenson and, I have to say, Ian Poulter and we must remember there are five rookies. Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose will have to enjoy massive weeks and then it will all come down to the first-timers and, if they can pull it off then so, too, can Europe.

Home advantage is clearly significant, as only two of the past 10 away teams have won. In my time, the 1997 US outfit were the best to come over and they were unfortunate in the fact that Valderrama was so quirky it had taken us Europeans 10 years to work it out. Course knowledge was everything that week. Yes, our guys all know Le Golf National but, although that will be a help, I do not believe the bias will be as skewed as Valderrama.

Then there is the 13th man and I just

There is a huge bond that they have never had before. They even go on holiday together – by choice!

pray the French crowd can produce the same atmosphere as the Irish, Welsh and Scottish in the last three homes matches and, of course the English for all those years before.

But I am slightly anxious in this regard, because France is not really a golf country.

I hope I am completely wrong in all this, I really do. Yet even the law of averages points me towards the visitors.

In my book, they have to be undoubted favourites.