By Alistair Magowan

It may pay well these days but for me second place is the worst position Colin Montgomerie

As Europe's leading talisman in the last two Ryder Cups, Colin Montgomerie has understandably been asked about his credentials as a captain in 2010.

But after what he describes as a "poor" season, the competitive spirit in the Scot still burns bright.

"I would like to be helping the European team as a competitor until I am no longer able," he said on Monday.

"Competitors miss competition and if I finished playing I'd miss the competition greatly. So I would like to be helping the European cause in 2008 and beyond.

"When my flexibility goes I would love to take on another role in the Ryder Cup some time."

A thoroughly diplomatic answer. Not so much for wanting to stake his claim but because he still feels he has unfinished business.

Having come so close to winning his first major at this year's US Open, it would be forgivable if Monty thought that it might never happen.

But the 43-year-old is still unrepentant in his quest, if only to get over the whole experience at Winged Foot.

"I've still got the ambition and the drive to go out and win golf events," he said.

"It may pay well these days but for me second place is the worst position. Finishing 20th is better than that.

"That's when questions arise like why didn't I win? What went wrong? - I hate finishing second."

There's no golf course in the world getting shorter any more. It has become a power game and he has all the power necessary to compete Colin Montgomerie on Paul Casey

Of course this has happened in majors before. His second place at last year's Open Championship was under completely different circumstances as Tiger Woods romped to victory at St Andrews.

Monty also narrowly missed out at the US Open in 1992, 1994 and 1997, twice being denied by Ernie Els.

But it was the manner in which he lost out this year which has spurred him on.

After doing "everything right" that week, just one bad shot denied him and his legions of followers everywhere.

So next season he will travel earlier to the US majors in an attempt to fill the only omission from his golfing CV.

A case of the final push rather than the final fold.

And he will have to renew his vigour if he is to be even regarded as the top British golfer.

The irony is that while Montgomerie has never won a major, his consistent positioning as Britain's top performer on the European Order of Merit is also now under threat.

The eight-time winner is tipping Paul Casey to triumph this year and sees him as the leading candidate from these shores to challenge for a major.

But even if the likes of Casey, David Howell and Luke Donald do usher in a new era, he will be keeping a keen eye on their futures with a certain date in 2010 in mind.

By then surely one of the trio will have nourished the European major drought.

Just don't dismiss Monty's desire to beat them to it.