Monty the major man on Valderrama's great stage

When the Ryder Cup was staged at The Belfry four years ago, Colin Montgomerie showed so much deference towards Nick Faldo as to be almost sycophantic. In this corner of Spain last weekend, the big Scot emerged not only as his own man, but as the new, uncrowned leader of the European side.

In 1993, Montgomerie gave the impression of not considering himself worthy of being rated with the major winners of the golfing world. Now, he believes that he lacks their status only because of fickle fortune.

He was his captain's most trusted lieutenant when the Americans turned the heat on with a vengeance at the latter stage of the singles battles. And he didn't fail Seve Ballesteros. By securing the half point that gave Europe victory, Montgomerie emerged as the most successful player of the tournament, with three and a half points from five matches. And the total could have been four points had he not conceded an extremely generous putt to Scott Hoch for a half on the 18th. "That was as nervous as I've ever been on a golf course," said Montgomerie yesterday. "I've been close to winning a few majors, but nothing compared with the tension going up the 18th. This wasn't just for myself, it was for the 12 of us and all those dear to us. It was for an entire continent. And it was for Seve."

Mongomerie has an obvious affection for Ballesteros. The feeling is mutual. "It is the worst hole we play all year," he said of Valderrama's notorious 17th, which has become Seve's pride and joy.

By way of teasing Monty, the Spaniard showed him a graphic of the hole over the weekend, pointing out how it should be played. Laughing, the Scot responded: "I'd just rather not come back here for the Volvo Masters."

"We all know what Colin is like," said Ballesteros. "One day he say things are black and we know that on the next day he will probably say they are white."

Whatever about the Scot's moods, Ballesteros knew he had the perfect man for the job when that half point had to be achieved. But the job was done on the player's terms.

"My caddie and I became aware at around the 12th or 13th hole that it might come down to us," he said. "To be honest, I thought that being at number 10 in the singles order would be just a walk in the park. But it didn't turn out that way."

As he set off down the climactic hole, Montgomerie turned to Mark James, the chairman of the European Tour's tournament committee, with the message: "Tell Seve to leave me alone. I have played this hole before and I know what to do. Let me get on with it."

Indeed Montgomerie knows how to play this tricky finishing hole, not least from the experience of winning the Volvo Masters at Valderrama in 1993. In any event, his drive was perfect, the nine-iron approach was equally precise and the first putt was left at tap-in distance from the hole.

Though he wouldn't have been aware of it at the time, Monty did his opponent, Scott Hoch, quite a favour by conceding the halved match without inflicting on the American the ordeal of facing that putt. It ensured that the 41-year-old rookie emerged as an improbable highest scorer on his team, with two and a half points from three matches.

Mongomerie's influence on the match was enormous. Though struggling with his game during the fourball defeat by Tiger Woods and Mark O'Meara on Friday, he pleaded with Ballesteros for the chance to go out again that afternoon, with Bernhard Langer as his partner once more.

He did. In what was to my mind the turning point of the entire weekend, he and Langer combined for a totally unexpected 5 and 3 crushing of Woods and O'Meara.

The development of Montgomerie as a player of world class owes much to his splendid challenges in the major championships. Sceptics began to take him seriously when he got into a play-off for the US Open with Ernie Els and Loren Roberts at Oakmont in 1994.

Then there were the three finishing birdies which got him into a play-off with Steve Elkington for the USPGA Championship at Riviera in 1995. He lost that one, too, but the battle delivered a new-found confidence.

His last words on the monumental task entrusted to him in the rain of Sunday evening reflected the special pressures of a unique test. "I felt earlier that if it should come down to winning the final point I'd rather do it myself than leave it to someone else.

"I think I'll take that back now. I can assure you it's not an experience to be envied."