Europe draw inspiration from Seve; Mickelson relishes challenge

By Peter Auf der Heyde Sep 29, 2010, 19:31 GMT

Newport, Wales - The European Ryder Cup team has drawn inspiration from former Ryder Cup player and captain Severiano Ballesteros, current captain Colin Montgomerie said on Wednesday.

Ballesteros is recovering from a brain tumor and could not travel to the Celtic Manor Resort, where the Ryder Cup, which sees a 12-man European team take on their American counterparts, will tee off on Friday.

Montgomerie said that his side was inspired by a telephone conversation they had with the Spaniard.

'The whole team spoke to Seve for about 10 minutes and that was very motivational, very passionate. It was also very sad to hear him - to hear the way he is.

'The passion is very, very strong within Seve for us as a team, and he just wishes that he could be here and obviously he was invited, but he could not make it.'

Montgomerie, who played on the same Ryder Cup team as Ballesteros and also played under him as captain, said that it had been a very passionate speech that he used to give to the team 13 years ago when he was captain.

'He was extremely open about our chances and about the team that has been selected and the team that had qualified. We were just honoured to have him on the speakerphone.

'It was a great idea. It definitely bonds a team, if it needed bonding, together, very close, when Seve, our legend, if you like, speaks to us within that context.

'Seve is our Ryder Cup and always will be. It is always nice to not ever feel that Seve is forgotten by us or by European golf in any way, shape or form.'

Montgomerie said that the team was inspired by Ballesteros, but did not need motivation. 'The only motivation this team needed was to lose the Ryder Cup two years ago. That's the motivation that my team needed.'

Much has been written ahead of the start of the competition about the possibility of a match between world No 1 Tiger Woods and young Irish sensation Rory McIlroy. On Wednesday, some of the European players wore McIlroy wigs when they teed off on their practice rounds to show their support for the youngster.

PGA champion Martin Kaymer, who is playing in his first Ryder Cup, said they had wanted to show that they were one team. 'He is the youngest, you know, and I think he was very happy about it, too.'

Kaymer, who is only the second German to play in the Ryder Cup after Bernhard Langer, admitted that he felt he did not only represent his continent, but also Germany.

'I can't wait to stand there tomorrow at the opening ceremony and hear the national anthem. I think that will be very special and for me that is a big honour.'

American Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, said that he was looking forward to the challenge of bettering his Ryder Cup record at the Celtic Manor.

'I think it is a wonderful golf course. It is in terrific shape, and the holes themselves have a lot of risk/reward, a lot of real big penalties if you miss-hit a shot and a lot of rewards if you pull off a shot.'

He said that the biggest challenge facing the US team is that their opponents are so strong. 'They have so many good players.

'There are other challenges, too. They are going to have the support of the crowd and that can be a challenge. And there are other variables, but it has been a long time since the US has won over on foreign soil.

'This is my eighth Ryder Cup, and the US team is yet to win when I've been on a team here on foreign soil in Europe. It is something that the US side would really cherish if we were able to somehow pull off the upset.

'But it has been a long time. We're trying hard to turn that around,' he said.