Rising Welsh star Rhys Davies has been invited to join Colin Montgomerie's European Ryder Cup team for their clash against America at Celtic Manor in October.

But it will not be as a player to ensure that the team has a token Welshman in the first-ever Ryder Cup match to be played in Wales, but rather to provide the 25-year-old with a chance to soak up the occasion and gain invaluble experience of the event.

Davies made that clear when he said: "Colin really wants me there to gain the experience of what it is like at a Ryder Cup,"

The young Welshman will be Montgomerie's "personal buggy driver" in Newport.

Martin Kaymer, the new USPGA Champion and one of the nine qualifiers who have made Monty's team, was given a similar invitation by Nick Faldo at Valhalla two years ago and Davies, already Wales' No 1 golfer, is seen as a being a similarly exciting prospect.

Davies is the Celtic Manor's new Ryder Cup 2010 course record holder after his 62 at this year's Wales Open where he finished runner-up to European team member and subsequent US Open champion Graeme McDowell.

He claimed a maiden win in his first full season on the European Tour at the Hassan II Championship in Morocco in March and has also picked up five other top six Tour finishes on his way to climbing to number 52 in the world.

Davies was seen by some as an outsider for wildcard after his heroics at Celtic Manor, but missed out with a number of seasoned stars battling it out for the three spaces available that ultimately went to Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington and Edoardo Molinari.

"It (his invitation to drive Monty's buggy) has helped overcome the disappointment of not making the team," Davies added.