He also drafted in Ryder Cup great Jose Maria Olazabal during the tournament and invited the Spaniard's ailing former partner Seve Ballesteros to address the team by phone ahead of the event.
The Open will also feature numerous tributes to Seve Ballesteros, as this is the first Open to be held since his death recently from brain cancer.
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"The whole team spoke to Seve for about 10 minutes and that was very motivational, very passionate and also very sad to hear him, to hear the way he is, " said Montgomerie.
They were not only playing for themselves, their teammates and their countries, they were playing to honor Seve.
As darkness enveloped Medinah Country Club in Chicago, Europe's captain Olazabal talked of how the spirit of Seve Ballesteros had been key to his team's success.
Javier clearly has inherited a wealth of talent from Seve but says he is yet to decide if he will follow his father's footsteps and become a golf professional once he has finished studying law in Madrid.
It's always nice to not ever feel that Seve is forgotten by us or by European golf in any way, shape or form.
"Now I call myself Seve Mulligan, " he added, referring to the golf rule which allows a second chance to play a shot.
Looking at previous Opens here on TV, having watched film of Seve here in 1984, the key seems to be to get off to a steady start, score in the middle and keep it together on the way in.
Did the spirit of Seve will his comrades onto the courage and fortitude to achieve success?
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But a 5th major would throw him in a class with Byron Nelson and the recently departed Seve Ballesteros while shrinking the afore-mentioned list to 12.
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"As a competitor and as a passionate players with the Ryder Cup, the Spanish have been a fantastic asset to our team over the years, starting with Seve Ballesteros, through Jose Olazabal and Miguel Angel Jimenez, " said Montgomerie.
The Saltman brothers, meanwhile, are bidding to become the first brothers in the same Open since Seve and Manuel Ballesteros 25 years ago - when Seve won.
The story of the modern era is clear: While Europe was inspired by the creative genius of Seve Ballesteros, the U.S. team hasn't been able to harness the individual brilliance of Tiger Woods.
Previously known as the Seve Trophy the Vivendi Trophy was created by Spanish golf legend Severiano Ballesteros intended to give European players a chance to hone their match-play skills in preparation for the Ryder Cup.
The pair shot seven-under-par 65s to lead by a stroke from a group which includes Raul Ballesteros, the nephew of Seve Ballesteros.
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