Monty's an inspiring leader, says McIlroy

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy has paid tribute to captain Colin Montgomerie's inspirational leadership ahead of The 2010 Ryder Cup.
On Tuesday morning, McIlroy and his practice partner Graeme McDowell gained a measure of revenge over the Molinari brothers, who had pipped them to the Omega Mission Hills World Cup title last year.

But the 21 year old was more eager discuss the events of the previous evening, when Montgomerie rallied his 12 troops with some well-chosen words.

He said: "Monty gave a great speech last night in the team room. It was really inspirational, and really got everyone going. He played a tape and then said a few words, which started the week off on the right foot.
"It made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, and it was great to be a part of. It wasn't only the players in there - the caddies were in there and all the partners, as well. So everyone got a sense of how important it is for Europe and for The European Tour to win this Ryder Cup back.
In the past McIlroy has sought to downplay the significance of The Ryder Cup in comparison with Major Championships, and whilst he confesses his priorities are unlikely to change, the World No 9 is clearly relishing the prospect of making his debut in golf's greatest team event.

He said: "I think it' probably a good thing to downplay The Ryder Cup, because it's such a big event. But when you get here, you realise the importance of it and you realise how big it is and how important it is to everyone. So I don't want to let myself down this week, and I don't want to let anyone else down this week. That's the main thing.
"You're not just playing for yourself, you're playing for 11 other guys, plus all of the backroom staff and most of Europe as well, I suppose. That's the big thing. You obviously want to play well for yourself, but you also want to play well for everyone else. Hopefully I can win a few points for the guys this week."