Pod - Monty leads from the front

Harrington (left) and Montgomerie at the 2006 Ryder Cup

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Padraig Harrington is hoping that Colin Montgomerie can force his way into the Ryder Cup team.

The Open champion is almost certain to be teeing it up at Valhalla in September and he is keen to have Monty - for so long Europe's talisman - alongside him.

"Personally I would be all for Monty in the team. He leads from the front and steps up a couple of levels," Harrington said.

Montgomerie and Harrington currently lie outside the automatic Ryder Cup places, but it is almost inconceivable that captain Nick Faldo would not pick Europe's only major champion in almost a decade as a wildcard.

The Dubliner welcomed Montgomerie's return to form and said he would be "delighted" to see the Scot win The Open in two weeks' time - if, that is, he fails to retain the title himself.

"It's nice to see him playing well," said Harrington of the 45-year-old Scot, who after falling outside the world's top 100 finished second in the French Open last week.

"If I'm not to defend The Open I would be delighted to see him win a major, particularly The Open."

The Dubliner, yet to win since his play-off victory over Sergio Garcia at Carnoustie last July, hopes to put that right in this week's European Open at The London Club in Kent.

On his failure to lift a trophy for almost 12 months he commented: "It's been a strange year. I've had plenty of top 10s and top fives to keep me going, but wins are definitely the most important part and that's an incentive to push on."