Europe won the Ryder Cup while Graeme McDowell and Martin Kaymer both won majors in 2010.Six Europeans are also in the world top 10, with Kaymer and Lee Westwood both bidding to be number one.

"We have had a fantastic year in Europe. There is a dominance and there is a changing of the guard over to Europe," said Montgomerie.

"We have always bowed to America's dominance - but now we don't just have Lee Westwood but also Martin Kaymer coming up as well."

Westwood missed the chance to take top ranking from Tiger Woods when he finished a disappointing 11th at the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, Golf Equipment which the German Kaymer won. The 37-year-old was struggling with a long-standing calf problem and is now set to take a break from golf until the WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai Discount Golf on 4 November.However, Englishman Westwood is still expected to be named number one when the rankings are decided on 31 October because of the way they are calculated over a two-year period.

Meanwhile, Montgomerie made a return to the playing ranks at the Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, where he finished joint 41st.And after guiding Europe to success at the Ryder Cup, Wholesale Golf the 47-year-old now hopes to taste victory on a personal level again.