Montgomerie won seven Order of Merits between 1993-1999

The South Africans have opted to play in the penultimate event on the US Tour instead of the elite field in Spain.

But Montgomerie is worried that without Els, Europe's number one, the event and the Order of Merit has lost some sheen.

However, Europe's Ryder Cup team will all be playing together for the first time since their record-breaking win.

"Lee Westwood's Volvo Masters win in 2000 was when the Order of Merit last meant something," the 41-year-old Scot told the Daily Express.

"The situation we find ourselves in is that it is a world tour and the European Tour Order of Merit is not a European Order of Merit any more.

"The last proper European Order of Merit was probably mine in 1999 and with all the World Golf Championship events coming in and Ernie playing well in turn, well, it's just all changed.

"It meant an awful lot to him [Westwood] to win and an awful lot to me, as everyone well knows, to have won seven in a row.

"But now it can't mean as much because Ernie and Retief are not playing," added Montgomerie.

Els has already secured his second straight Order of Merit, while Goosen, champion in 2001 and 2002, is second, over �1m adrift.

Ireland's Padraig Harrington is third in the standings and could overhaul Goosen with victory in Valderrama.