European Ryder Cup reunion at Valderrama

"Seve said, "You're a long time away from the game when you retire so keep playing as long as you can,' " Montgomerie said.

Padraig Harrington, third on the European money list, is still getting over a thumb injury he sustained at the World Match Play two weeks ago when he was beaten in the semifinals by Els.

"It didn't recover as quickly as I thought it would," he said. "But I could hit shots last week with my thumb off the club."

Harrington won the Volvo Masters at Montecastillo in 2001, the last of the five years it was played there.

"This is a big event, at the top of the European Tour," he said. "It would mean a lot to me to win it again."

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