Europe's golfers are facing a daunting task in their quest to retain the Ryder Cup at Medinah this week, but spare a thought for Colin Montgomerie.
Forget the might of an impressive looking USA side on the course. Off it, Monty has his own battle to fight in the fraught arena of the Sky Television production booth.
"I think it will be the toughest of the lot," admitted the 2010 cup-winning Scot, having swapped the captain's armband for the microphone. "It's got the most viewers for a start, so I'll be more nervous for one. And you're on longer hours. I'm looking forward to it, but there's a bit of anxiety."
Of course, Montgomerie is no stranger to the myriad challenges that a Ryder Cup can throw up, particularly when golf's boisterous, biennial bunfight is played out on American soil.
As Europe's talisman during a glittering cup career as a player, the 49-year-old revelled in his role as the on-course general. The raucous home footsoldiers on the sidelines also revelled in their role as barrackers-in-chief.
The unsavoury incidents of Brookline in 1999, when the ferocious abuse hurled at Montgomerie from charged-up spectators was unrelenting, still casts a shadow over the event. The howling hordes did their best to throw a star-spangled spanner in the European works with their vocal volleys from behind the ropes, and it worked.
Here in the Windy City, the toddlin' town known for its sporting passion, many observers, Montgomerie included, believe there is plenty of potential for another storm to be whipped up from the partisan galleries.
"There is a risk," confessed the eight-time European No.1 as he reflected on the infamous Battle of Brookline. "I think the Ryder Cup and sporting events when America played internationally changed after 9/11.
"America realised we were their allies, their great allies, but that was 11 years ago and time moves on, everything moves on and I have a slight fear that it is going to be very difficult for us Europeans to perform to our potential in a very difficult place.
"I do hope everyone realises that and allows the Europeans to play to their potential.
"I just hope that nobody is what you'd call targeted in the way that some players were in '99. I hope these days are behind us, and that the etiquette of the game shines through and not anything else."
As the linchpin of many a European crusade, Montgomerie has urged caution from those who are falling over themselves to anoint Rory McIlroy, the world No.1 who has been in sparkling form of late since winning last month's US PGA Championship, as the new driving force.
"I don't think Rory is classified as the team leader yet," he added. " I'd still give that role to Lee Westwood, as I did two years ago. Tiger Woods was No.1 for many, many years in the Ryder Cup. A lot of pressure was put on Tiger to get five points in the Ryder Cup and that's almost damned near impossible to achieve, so I do hope that everybody commentating, everybody writing in the media and what have you, don't put too much pressure on McIlroy trying to get five points.
"Remember, we need 14 points, so we need all 12 players to be playing well here, not just the one. That's why it was great in a number of wins for Europe that every player contributed to the success. We can't just have one guy playing well.
"Yes, Rory will win points, but 18-hole matchplay's a very quick game and things could go wrong, so let's not put too much emphasis on him. Let's make sure that we're playing as a 12 and not as one plus 11."
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