Langer, Monty lead by example

COLIN MONTGOMERIE and Bernhard Langer reproduced their Ryder Cup form to inspire the Rest of the World to a slender 3½ to 2½ lead over the United States after the opening day of the UBS Cup.

It was therefore no surprise when captain Tony Jacklin put them together again in yesterday’s foursomes as the visitors attempted to claim their first victory in the third staging of the Ryder Cup-style event for players over 40.

And the decision paid off when they crushed Ray Floyd and Hale Irwin 5 & 3 at Sea Island to claim the first point of the contest.

Jacklin himself then earned the second minutes later, combining with Nick Faldo to beat 74-year-old American captain Arnold Palmer and Rocco Mediate by one hole.

Carl Mason and Bill Longmuir surrendered a two-hole lead to go down to an 18th-hole birdie from Scott Hoch and 2004 Ryder Cup captain Hal Sutton, but Argentinian pair Eduardo Romero and Vicente Fernandez were three under par in beating Tom Watson and Curtis Strange 4 & 3.

Mark O’Meara and Craig Stadler birdied three of the last five holes to beat Ian Woosnam and Barry Lane by one hole, while Des Smyth and Rodger Davis halved their match with Brad Faxon and Bruce Lietzke.

Jacklin and Faldo were three ahead after seven and seemingly in control until Mediate holed for birdie on the 16th to close the gap to just one hole.

Montgomerie and Langer have only lost one of their seven Ryder Cup matches together and the Scot said: “It’s quite obvious we enjoy playing together and Tony Jacklin saw that and we were delighted when we found we were playing together.

“On paper the US team would be stronger but match play is different as we have proved in many Ryder Cups and to be ahead at the end of the day I think Tony would be happy with that.”