The Ryder Cup is the premier competition in golf and if you can write your name into the record books by being so good in the event, you’re doing something right as a golfer.
Over the years, we’ve seen some of the best players ever either rise to the occasion or crumble, as Team Europe and Team USA battle it out for glory.
There is a different mindset when it comes to being successful in a Ryder Cup.
You can be the best player around – take Tiger Woods, for example – but when it comes to the Ryder Cup, things change and battles are lost.
Thankfully for Team Europe over the years, they’ve had some players who seem to save their best for the biggest stage.
Players like Seve Ballesteros, Jose Olazabal and Bernhard Langer, have all had big moments but when it comes to being ‘Mr Ryder Cup’, it’s hard to look past the great Colin Montgomerie.
And back in 2004, ‘Monty’ ensured his name would forever be etched in Ryder Cup history as he helped Team Europe to a momentous win.
Colin Montgomerie’s record-breaking 2004 Ryder Cup
When you look at the European players over the years who never won a major but seem too good to have somehow not managed it, Colin Montgomerie sticks out like a sore thumb.
Montgomerie is fourth all time on the list of European Tour wins with 31, finished second at the US Open three times, and had runner-up finishes at both the PGA and The Open before he called it a day.
However, while his heartbreak in the majors was there for all to see, when it came to the Ryder Cup, there was nobody better.
Going into the 2004 event at Oakland Hills, Montgomerie was looking to become the first European player to go eight singles matches undefeated.
In the end, Montgomerie didn’t just deliver, he helped absolutely destroy an American team who looked stunned into submission.
Team Europe won out by a record-setting 18.5 to 9.5, and in fitting style, Montgomerie saw off David Toms by one hole right in the middle of the action to ensure there was absolutely no way back for Team USA.
Remarkably, Montgomerie repeated the feat in his final ever Ryder Cup two years later, once again defeating Toms to get Team Europe off and running before they eventually won 18.5 to 9.5 for the second successive tournament.
Colin Montgomerie’s Ryder Cup record
To be undefeated in eight singles matches across the Ryder Cup is some feat from Montgomerie.
Six wins and two halves in that time show how good he was and his overall record stands at five wins and three losses in terms of the cup itself.
In terms of his overall record, that stands right up as well.
| Player | Points |
| Sergio Garcia | 28.5 |
| Nick Faldo | 25 |
| Bernhard Langer | 24 |
| Colin Montgomerie | 23.5 |
| Lee Westwood | 23 |
| Seve Ballesteros | 22.5 |
Even now, Montgomerie remains fourth on the list of overall points scorers with 23.5 over this eight appearances.
With nobody in the modern game even looking like getting close to Monty for now, his spot in the top five is safe for the foreseeable future at least.