By Iain Carter BBC Radio 5 Live golf correspondent in Abu Dhabi
Montgomerie has made no secret of his desire to skipper Europe in 2014
Colin Montgomerie has emerged as a strong contender for the role of European Ryder Cup captain at Celtic Manor in south Wales in 2010.
The 45-year-old is keen on the post in his native Scotland in 2014 but may accept the job earlier if favourite Jose Maria Olazabal turns it down.
The Spaniard is hoping to qualify as a player in 2010 and Montgomerie is aware that he might be too old in 2014.
It is believed Olazabal has been given two weeks to make up his mind.
The European Tour's Ryder Cup committee met for almost four hours to discuss the captaincy in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, but will reconvene on 28 January and plan to name their choice the following day.
Ryder Cup stalwart Olazabal, Scotland's Sandy Lyle and Wales' victorious 2006 captain Ian Woosnam are the leading names in the frame to succeed Nick Faldo, but Montgomerie's odds have tumbled on some betting exchanges.
When questioned by reporters after his second round in the Abu Dhabi Championship, Montgomerie said: "I don't know what the situation is.
"It would be an honour to be selected, but we are no further forward with the selection process.
Coltart tips Montgomerie to play at Celtic Manor
"I will have to let you know if it has been offered or not. At this stage it has not."
Montgomerie, an eight-time Ryder Cup veteran, has championed the cause of Lyle but conceded this week that players aged around 50 might now be too old to do the job.
Lyle, the only one of Europe's so-called "big five" of Seve Ballesteros, Faldo, Woosnam and Bernhard Langer not to have captained the side, will be 52 in 2010.
"We found last time with Faldo's situation that you do lose as a captain over 50 a sense of what's happening with the youngsters, a feeling of what's going on," said Montgomerie, who emerged halfway through Tuesday's meeting with a look of horror on his face.
He said he needed to go to the toilet, but was absent from the gathering for 25 minutes.
Could it have been that he was using the time to weigh up whether he wanted to be the man to lead the side in 2010?
Olazabal was due to be at the Qatar Masters next week but has pulled out as continues to regain fitness after suffering rheumatism.
He is now targeting the Dubai Desert Classic in two weeks for his return to action.
The desert air is thick with rumour and counter rumour on what the Tournament Committee has decided. Montgomerie emerging as a shock candidate appears the strongest to date.
He has, after all, designed one of the courses at Newport's Celtic Manor resort - "The Montgomerie".
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