Golf: Monty looking for something special

Colin Montgomerie was today hoping for a flash of inspiration in the second round of the German Masters in Cologne.

Montgomerie could only card a two under par 70 in the first round at Gut Larchenhof, and found himself five shots off the lead held by Mansfield’s Greg Owen and Swede Henrik Nystrom.

The Scot missed the cut in his last event, the Lancome Trophy in Paris, when the recent terrorist attacks in America were praying on his mind.

‘‘Nothing much happened,’’ the former European number one said.

‘‘I started well but dropped a few shots and didn’t play that well.

‘‘I had a week off last week, did a little bit of practice trying to get my game in shape for the big tournaments coming up but it’s not quite happening. We’ll see what happens.’’

Owen’s target was to remain in contention for a maiden European Tour victory that would be the only way to match the high he experienced when he led the Open at Royal Lytham this year, and also had an albatross in the third round.

The 29-year-old from Britain started slowly with six straight pars as he felt the ongoing effects of a long-standing back problem caused by his 6ft 4in frame - a problem he hopes to rectify by working out with a martial arts expert this winter.

But he came to life from the seventh, carding four straight birdies and six in seven holes, only a lip-out on the 11th preventing him from making it seven in a row.

‘‘It was fantastic,’’ said the 29-year-old, a member of Barry Hearn’s Matchroom stable who receives advice from six-time world snooker champion Steve Davis.

‘‘The putts seemed to drop for me today and I kept hitting it exactly where I wanted. The longest birdie putt I had was from 15 foot and it was a shame about three-putting the 17th.’’

Owen added: ‘‘Leading the Open was a hell of an experience and one I’m never going to forget. But it took me about a month to come down from that and when I played in the Scottish PGA I was all over the place.

‘‘I told myself to pull it together and have played much better since Gleneagles.

‘‘I’m looking forward to a break over the winter and counting down the events which is not a good thing to do. But I’m going to work hard over the fitness this winter with Ron Cuthbert who is a martial arts expert. and hopefully I’ll reap the rewards next year.’’

Owen and Nystrom led by one from Argentinian Ricardo Gonzalez and Australian John Senden with no fewer than 12 players a shot further back on five under, including Hertfordshire’s Ian Poulter and tournament co-promoter Bernhard Langer, the German looking forward to writing himself a handsome prize money cheque on Sunday.

Darren Clarke looked set to challenge the leaders when he had four birdies in a row from the third and was five under par after 10 holes.

But the Ulsterman failed to birdie either of the par fives on the back nine and bogeyed the 14th, and was in no mood to talk about his 68 afterwards.