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Lyle "honoured" by Monty's Ryder Cup recommendation

25/09/2008

Sandy Lyle has said he would be "delighted and honoured" to take on the Ryder Cup captaincy in 2010 after Colin Montgomerie recommended him for the role.

Veteran Scot Lyle, who won two majors at the 1985 Open and the 1988 US Masters, is the only one of Europe's 'Big Five' stars of the 1980s not to have handled a European team.

Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Ian Woosnam and now Nick Faldo have all held the mantle since retiring from the Tour - leaving Lyle as the only player yet to lead Europe against the United States.

Montgomerie described his countryman as an "outstanding candidate" for the role, adding: "It'd be a shame if it wasn't Sandy."

And Lyle - who, if successful in his candidacy, would be charged with reclaiming the Ryder Cup in Wales in two years' time following the team's heavy defeat at Valhalla last weekend - replied: "I really appreciate Colin's kind words.

"I would be delighted and honoured to take on the challenge at Celtic Manor."

Lyle added: "It means a great deal to me that a man who has been so successful in Ryder Cup competitions should endorse my candidacy as Ryder Cup captain."

It remains unclear whether Faldo will be allowed to keep the captaincy in a bid to make up for the 16½ - 11½ defeat in Kentucky, which many pundits have attributed to a fired-up American team rather than any errors of judgment from the Englishman.