Faldo believes Monty can regain form in time for Ryder Cup

VIRGINIA WATER, England, May 20 (Reuters) - Eight-times European number one Colin Montgomerie may have slid to 90th in the world rankings but he is still capable of rallying to make this year's Ryder Cup team, captain Nick Faldo said.

"I believe Monty will turn it around," Faldo told reporters on Tuesday. "I certainly haven't counted that out.

"He has a great way of producing the goods when we really need it and in theory a player of his ability has enough time to make it happen."

Montgomerie, lying 54th in the Ryder Cup world points list and 34th in the European points table, has it all to do to earn one of the 10 automatic slots in the team that will defend the trophy in Valhalla, Kentucky from Sept. 19-21.

Faldo said it was still early in the season and the key period to determine whether Montgomerie would gain one of the captain's two wildcard selections would be the six weeks immediately following the British Open at Royal Birkdale in mid-July.

"It all depends where he is in that last six weeks (before the team is decided)," said Faldo, who was speaking ahead of the PGA Championship at Wentworth which starts on Thursday. "That is going to be real key for me.

"We'll see what I've got (then) and what I need. It is really going to heat up from the British Open on."

CAPTAINCY SKILLS

Faldo, who spends much of his time these days working as a television commentator in the United States, predicted a growing demand on his captaincy skills between now and September.

"From now on I'm very much more hands on," said the six-times major champion.

"I am at an awful lot of (European) events now through the rest of the season and I can walk the practice range and have a chat with the guys."

The Americans have lost the last three editions of the biennial match and Faldo said he had noticed a slight change this season in the approach of the opposition players.

"They are very keen in America," he said. "Every interview any player does, he wants to make that Ryder Cup team.

"I think they are going to come at us with full guns (blazing) and I know that's the way I am thinking as well. I am sure my team will be thinking that (too)."

Faldo said his counterpart Paul Azinger had played a big part in the renewed focus of the Americans on the Ryder Cup.

"He (Azinger) is probably drumming it up a bit more," said the 50-year-old Briton. "It is very prevalent the number of players that talk about the Ryder Cup (in the U.S.).

"They all want to make that team. It is a big priority for the top-50 guys."

(Editing by Pritha Sarkar)