Colin Montgomerie has named Thomas Bjorn, Paul McGinley and Jose Maria Olazabal as his choices for vice captains at Celtic Manor.
Scot wants to win before leading European team
European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie has named Thomas Bjorn, Paul McGinley and Jose Maria Olazabal as his choices for vice captains at Celtic Manor in October.
But Montgomerie wants Bjorn and McGinley, who have competed in a combined five Ryder Cups, to focus on their performances over the next couple months in a bid to qualify for the team.
"The Americans are having four vice captains. I shall have three, maybe four," Montgomerie said. "But I will not be naming them until after the Open at St. Andrews in July because, with Bjorn and McGinley, I want them to have every chance to make the team as players again.
"I don't want the situation that Paul had two years ago where he resigned as Nick Faldo's vice captain because he wanted the chance to play his way into the team. So I am going to give them the chance through the Open because both Thomas and Paul are talented enough to go and win the British Open."
Olazabal lost out to Montgomerie for the captain's job and the Spaniard said he did not want to be a vice captain again, after assisting Nick Faldo at Valhalla in 2008 because he feels that "they don't make decisions."
Experience
But the Scot said: "With his experience and from what heard from the players at Valhalla in 2008 and how good he was there, he would be invaluable for our team."
Montgomerie will tee it up in this week's Spanish Open having failed to finish higher than 45th in any European Tour event this year.
He added: "One of my goals is to win this year before the Ryder Cup, so that I will have the respect of my players. But I do admit that the work that I have put into the Cup has been a 10 per cent distraction from my golf."
