Monty decides four-balls first in Ryder Cup

FROM THE AOL GOLF NEWS SERVICE
Colin Montgomerie has finally revealed one of his Ryder Cup decisions - not who will be handed a wild card, but how the match will start.
And following the lead of Seve Ballesteros, who considered it one of the masterstrokes of his 1997 success when he changed the format at Valderrama, Montgomerie has gone for four-balls first at Celtic Manor on October 1.
It is the home captain's prerogative to decide the order of play in advance.  Europe's four victories in the last six matches have all come with the opening session being four-balls - and America's two wins came when Ben Crenshaw in 1999 and Paul Azinger two years ago reverted to foursomes first.
Hal Sutton chose not to do that at Oakland Hills in 2004 and lost.
Surprisingly perhaps, Montgomerie was leaning towards foursomes earlier in the year, but with at least five uncapped players likely to be in his line-up - Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer, Ross Fisher and Francesco Molinari are certainties, Peter Hanson is on course to join them and Simon Dyson or Alvaro Quiros could yet make it six - he has gone for the safer option.
"Foursomes is the most difficult form of golf and I had a gut feeling it might favour us this time, but it's easier to get new caps involved straightaway in four-balls," he said.

"Recent results also suggest it works better for us, so that's what I went for when I signed the captains' agreement."

Montgomerie's decision increases the chances of Northern Ireland pair Graeme McDowell and McIlroy teeing things off for Europe.

Both have expressed that wish after winning all three games when they led the way for Britain and Ireland against Continental Europe last September.