I have no sympathy for Faldo, says Colin Montgomerie

Talking for the first time since Europe lost to the United States in Kentucky last weekend, Montgomerie faulted Faldo's order of play for the decisive 12 singles matches on the final day.

The veteran Scot also pointedly refused to admit to feeling for Faldo in the same way he felt sorry for the European players who suffered a 16½-11½ defeat.

But if Faldo is hoping for a second chance to win the Ryder Cup when Celtic Manor in Wales hosts the next match in 2010, he will be disappointed if Clarke gets his way.

An influential member of the European Tour's Tournament Committee which will select the next captain, Clarke said: "The way it's going to work out now for the foreseeable future is the captains have one go at it only."

Montgomerie, a hugely inspirational figure in eight Ryder Cup campaigns, and Clarke, the emotional hero of a victory in Ireland two years ago that came so soon after the death of his wife Heather, were both snubbed by Faldo over the captain's two picks which went to Ian Poulter and Paul Casey.

Significantly, Montgomerie praised the way America's Paul Azinger insisted on having four picks for his side.

On the eve of the Quinn Insurance British Masters at The Belfry, the Scot said: "That is a thing of the future now; eight qualifying by right and four picks seems to be the way to go.

"It was said post-Ryder Cup that the result might have been different if we had the same qualification system as the Americans, therefore allowing Darren and I to play. But we didn't, and it wasn't."

Montgomerie, who wants to play his way back into the team for 2010 ahead of being appointed captain on home turf at Gleneagles in 2014, admitted he would not have led the Europeans at Valhalla in the same manner as long-time rival Faldo.

"Certain things would have been done the same and certain things I would have liked to have changed," he said.

With Europe 9-7 down going into the final round of singles, Montgomerie certainly would not have bottom-loaded his order with three of Europe's best players — Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and treble major winner Padraig Harrington — playing 10th, 11th and 12th.

In the event, the United States had regained the Cup before those three could come into play.

Montgomerie said: "The line-up of the singles was very important being 9-7 down. It had to be absolutely spot-on.

"It occurred to me that Poulter and Westwood and Harrington, possibly our three strongest players, might not be included the final shake-up.

"If those three were playing in the higher order they would have, 100 per cent, been included in the shake-up."

Montgomerie also revealed that had he been in the team room when the singles order was discussed, he would have reminded Faldo that Ryder Cup history proved that Harrington was wasted at No12.

He said "Once in the whole history of the Ryder Cup since 1927 has No 12 ever mattered."

That, he pointed out, was in 1991 when Bernhard Langer infamously missed the six-foot putt on the last green at Kiawah Island that resulted in the Ryder Cup returning to the United States for the first time in six years.

Montgomerie also added that his sympathies were with Europe's beaten players.

He said: "Having lost twice in America I know what the flight's like coming home, and I know how everybody is down no matter how many points you get individually."

But when asked if he also felt for Faldo, Montgomerie thought long and hard before replying: "I can't answer that question."