European success at World Cup gives Monty plenty of food for thought

SHENZHEN, China -- The piece of paper containing Colin Montgomerie's dream pairings for the 2010 European Ryder Cup team could well have had a few notes added to it after several potential pairings for Celtic Manor made strong cases in China last week.

After being appointed as captain, Montgomerie revealed he has a list in his desk drawer that contains his ideal 12-man Ryder Cup team.

In reality, Montgomerie only has his three captain's picks to make, while the other nine places will be determined by the world and European points lists.

But when the time comes to select his trio and when Montgomerie also works out his fourball and foursome pairings, the English duo of Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher, Northern Ireland's pair of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell, and Sweden's Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson did their causes no harm with impressive showings at the Omega Mission Hills World Cup.

Italian brothers Francesco and Edoardo Molinari walked away with the World Cup title on Sunday, but Celtic Manor might come just a little too soon for the talented siblings. But McIlroy and McDowell finished second for Ireland alongside defending champion Sweden, while Poulter and Fisher finished strongly over the weekend to claim fourth.

With Ireland leading for the first three rounds and Sweden always lurking for the majority of the week, Poulter and Fisher sat well down the field heading into the last two days.

But they made their move with a 9-under 63 in fourballs before posting an impressive final-round 64 in the testing foursomes (alternate shot) on Sunday, although they had ultimately left themselves too much to do.

"If you add our scores together over the last two years, we can play good golf in foursomes," said Poulter, who combined with Fisher to finish sixth at the 2008 world Cup following a similar weekend charge.

"It's encouraging to know that there's definitely a potential partnership, and let's hope we both make the Ryder Cup side," he added. "Foursomes is a difficult format and whenever you have guys shooting 7, 8, 9, 10 under par in foursomes, it is seriously good golf.

"It goes to show how strong all of the fields were and how strong all of the teams were," he said. "They were very, very strong and it was a good turnout. There were some great teams, and there were some great scores."

Nine months remain until the team is finally decided, but as of right now world No. 10 McIlroy, Volvo World Match Play Championship winner Fisher and Francesco Molinari would make their Ryder Cup debuts at Celtic Manor, while Singapore Open champion Poulter would make a third appearance after justifiably being handed a captain's pick by Nick Faldo last year.

World No. 7 Stenson and 2008 European Tour No. 1 Karlsson, who also finished second in Japan earlier this month to prove he is back to his best following four months on the sidelines with an eye problem, have both made the last two Ryder Cup teams.

McIlroy and McDowell set the Olazabal Course at Mission Hills Golf Club alight with a sparking 14 under par in Thursday's opening-round fourballs before following up a 68 in foursomes with a 64 in the Saturday better-ball format.

They disappointingly rounded off the week with a final-round 70 in foursomes as they saw a three-shot lead disappear to finish second alongside Sweden. The Swedes left China wondering how they failed to defend their 2008 title after Stenson and Karlsson amazingly dropped just one shot over four rounds.

That proved to be the difference, though, as Italy won its first World Cup title by a single stroke.

"My first taste of the World Cup was great, it was fantastic," said 20-year-old McIlroy, who also won three out of four matches alongside McDowell in September's Ryder Cup-style Vivendi Trophy.

"To win on your own is very special; to win with a partner and experience the same feelings coming down the stretch is pretty cool," he added. "And hopefully I can come back next year and Graeme can come with me and we'll give it another shot."

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