Monty will be a one-match wonder

Victorious European Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie said he played every shot via radio during four dramatic days at Celtic Manor and was happy to walk away as a one-hit wonder.

Compared to his American counterpart Corey Pavin, Montgomerie's emotions were etched all over his face throughout the epic encounter and he was choking back tears when Graeme McDowell beat Hunter Mahan on the 17th green to give Europe a 14-1/2 13-1/2 victory to reclaim the trophy.

'I felt out of control all week as captain,' a still emotional Montgomerie told reporters from the calm of the media interview room after stressful days spent criss-crossing the Twenty Ten layout on a buggy, keeping tabs on the 28 matches via walkie-talkie chats with his vice captains.

'This is the first Ryder Cup that I have attended that I have not actually played and it was very, very difficult to play every shot over that radio.

'I played every shot out there for every game in every match. And that's why I think that that's a one-time, a one-hit (captaincy) and it's time to go now.

'It's only right that it should be passed on to the next great candidate that we have here in Europe,' added Montgomerie, sitting in the middle of his 12 triumphant players.

'It's the proudest moment of my golfing career. I must congratulate my 12 players who did a magnificent job in regaining the Ryder Cup.'

With Europe leading by three points going into Monday's 12 singles and needing a further five points for victory, Montgomerie had top-loaded his order with his in-form players.

Though Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer lost early on, Luke Donald and Ian Poulter countered but as more red began to appear on the scoreboards dotted around the course it turned into a sweaty-palmed afternoon for the Scot.

'I don't think this match was won today,' he said. 'It was won yesterday evening with five and a half points out of six. That's where the Ryder Cup was won, taking that three-point lead into the singles.'