RYDER Cup captain Colin Montgomerie witnessed at first hand the competitive mettle of Simon Dyson, North Yorkshire’s grittiest irons man.

The 32-year-old Dyson reinforced his credentials for Europe’s 12-man team to play the United States when he excelled in tandem with Montgomerie, who led the European team to victory over Asia in the Royal Trophy in Thailand.

A pivotal part in the victory was Montgomerie’s decision to take a closer look at the York-born player by partnering him in the four-balls event on the middle day of the three-day tournament at the Amata Spring Country Club in Bangkok.

Team leader Montgomerie – the captain of the Great Britain and European team to take on their American counterparts in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor in just nine months’ time – and Dyson hit it off as a pairing from the outset and claimed Europe’s first point of the Saturday as they beat Indian duo Jeev Milha Singh and Gaganjeet Bhullar 4&3.

The European pair did not concede a single hole on the front nine after taking the lead on the third when Dyson sank a 15-foot putt for birdie.

Said Montgomerie, who also had a close up view of Dyson’s match-play talent in the Seve Trophy last year: “We enjoyed playing together. Simon played especially well throughout the day. We kept both balls in play and that was the key. We hardly missed a fairway between us and that’s why we came out victorious.”

The in-form Dyson, who is sixth in the Ryder Cup points list after two momentous wins last year – his triumph in the KLM Dutch Open was followed by a superb capture of the coveted Alfred Dunhill Links Championship – was full of praise for Montgomerie’s leadership skills.

Said Dyson: “I thought he was really, really good. He was chatting to all of us a lot and seeing what our thoughts were on things.

“I had the pleasure of playing with him in the four-balls and he made life very easy for me. I thought he was exceptional.

“He has been playing for the last 20 or so years and that is great experience and I think he will be fantastic Ryder Cup captain.”

The Malton & Norton Golf Club ace, who jetted from Bangkok to the United Arab Emirates to ready himself for next week’s Abu Dhabi Championships, which will be his first solo tournament of the current European Tour, was delighted that his short game was near its best throughout the three days of the Royal Trophy.

Said Dyson, who is now ranked 45th in the world standings: “Even when I lost in the foursomes I was playing all right and my chipping was good. That makes a massive difference because you can go for greens and if you miss, your short game can get you out of trouble.”