Injury-hit Monty keen to show Sam he’s up for cup

COLIN MONTGOMERIE is desperate to prove his fitness to his team-mates and Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance in this week’s Linde German Masters.

Montgomerie has not played since pulling out of the NEC Invitational in Seattle at the end of last month with a recurrence of the back injury that has plagued him all season.

The former European number one was rated only a 50/50 chance by coach Dennis Pugh to be fit to play at the Belfry in a fortnight’s time, and Torrance is aware he may not be able to rely on a player he has called ‘‘his rock’’ for all five series of matches.

But with a team meeting on Tuesday night in Cologne fully focusing attention on the contest, delayed for a year following the terrorist attacks in the United States, Montgomerie and fellow injury worry Padraig Harrington are keen to demonstrate they will be fighting fit in a fortnight’s time.

‘‘I am just pleased and anxious to get back into competition with the Ryder Cup just a fortnight away,’’ said Montgomerie ahead of the prestigious €3million event at Gut Larchenhof.

‘‘I want to prove to Sam and the team everything is okay. The Ryder Cup is getting to the forefront of my mind.

‘‘I wouldn’t say this week is a test for me because I would never want to say any tournament is a test, but in saying that I will be glad when Sunday night comes and I can say to myself, ‘well that’s okay and we can get on with golf’.”

Veteran team member Bernhard Langer, the defending champion in Cologne, is free of injuries and has been reunited with long-term caddie Pete Coleman this week.

Langer, who will make his 10th Ryder Cup appearance at the Belfry, was one of the nine European team members playing this week who attended the dinner with Torrance and vice-captain Ian Woosnam on Tuesday evening.

Only Jesper Parnevik, Sergio Garcia and Darren Clarke were not present, and Torrance will have been heartened by Garcia’s victory in the Korean Open at the weekend.

Langer faces a tough task to successfully defend the title he won last year, with a world-class field assembled.

Langer is joined by Open champion Ernie Els, newly-crowned USPGA champion Rich Beem, Nick Faldo, Retief Goosen, Adam Scott, Jose Maria Olazabal and Vijay Singh.

The first prize is £315,541 and the winner will receive a five-year tour exemption instead of the normal two years.