GLENEAGLES, Scotland (PA) -- Colin Montgomerie has appeared to have performed a u-turn over the possibility of him becoming one of Nick Faldo's assistants in next month's Ryder Cup.

Although the Scot remains hopeful of securing a place on Europe's team as one of Faldo's wild-card picks, Montgomerie was on Wednesday quizzed about the chances of him having a non-playing role at Valhalla.

But in the space of a few minutes, Montgomerie went from giving the impression that he would not be interested to saying: "I would certainly think about that decision and anything that would help the European cause I would be for.

"I would help in any way, shape or form -- potentially, yes."

Previously he had been asked during a press conference at the Johnnie Walker Championship if he would consider a non-playing role and replied: "No. I'd consider getting my game ready to make sure I make it in 2010.

"Bernhard Langer did that when he was left out in 1999," he added. "He was determined and made sure he was on the team the next time and that would be my goal."

Montgomerie, 45, is competing for a wild card for this year's event with Darren Clarke, Paul Casey and Ian Poulter.

Montgomerie believes he can force his way onto this year's team, saying he is "confident" of his chances of winning this week's Johnnie Walker Championship, which has a first prize of almost $500,000.

But even if he grabs that on Sunday, the highest that the 45-year-old Scot -- a star of the last eight matches against the Americans -- can finish on the points table is 15th, well outside the automatic qualification positions.

Paul Casey and Darren Clarke -- the winner on Sunday in Holland -- are the favorites to get Faldo's wild cards. But Ian Poulter is now in the mix as well and his decision to stay in America this week when fifth place in Scotland could have qualified him has got everybody guessing.

The big question is whether Faldo has told the British Open runner-up he is in, but such captaincy would seem unusual as Poulter making the top 10 in Scotland would have opened the door for another of the big guns to be selected.

Montgomerie's recent poor form is weighing heavily against him, but against that is his Ryder Cup record, which shows he has never been beaten in singles and is two wins away from passing Faldo as the event's record points-scorer.

Asked how confident he would be that the Ryder Cup would inspire him again, Montgomerie replied: "I think that's obvious.

"The Ryder Cup has brought the best out of me. Everybody tells me, 'Why don't you just play the way you in the Ryder Cup?' As Tom Lehman said in America, 'We'd be delighted if Monty is not playing'. I think that says a lot.

"To get selected I think I've got to show some form. I haven't become a bad player, I'm just sort of out of form and have been for the last month," he added. "But I feel very much more confident having had a week's holiday away from the game and after practicing here last week."

Some might have interpreted his decision not to play last week as resignation to missing out, but Montgomerie commented: "You're reading too much into that. Hopefully, I'm past the stage of justifying my Ryder Cup potential or otherwise.

"Everybody here -- and I'm sure that I speak for the captain as well -- understands my love for the Ryder Cup and that's how I will be remembered, if you like," he added. "There's no resignation in any way, shape or form. I just felt I wanted to turn my game around and the best way to do that was practice up here and prepare the way that I have."

In May last year, Faldo named Jose Maria Olazabal and Paul McGinley as his two assistants, but four months later McGinley resigned because he wanted to play in the Ryder Cup again. Even after a runner-up finish to Clarke in Holland on Sunday, however, McGinley is further down the table than Montgomerie.

Faldo asking Montgomerie to be part of his backroom staff was a long shot from the moment that Faldo spoke about the Scot missing some team meetings at last year's Seve Trophy.

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