Duo maintain impressive form

Colin Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer today carried on where they left off in last year’s Ryder Cup on the opening day of the UBS Cup in Georgia.

The duo were unbeaten in three matches together at The Belfry, earning two-and-a-half points out of three and also then winning their respective singles matches on Sunday.

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

And it looked like paying off as they quickly moved into a comfortable lead against Ray Floyd and Hale Irwin at Sea Island.

Montgomerie chipped in for birdie to win the second and par was good enough to claim the next as well after Irwin missed the green and a six-foot par putt.

Another birdie at the seventh took the Rest of the World side three up, and there was similarly good news from the rest of the course.

Jacklin and Nick Faldo were two up after 10 against 74-year-old American captain Arnold Palmer and Rocco Mediate, Carl Mason and Bill Longmuir were one ahead against Scott Hoch and 2004 Ryder Cup captain Hal Sutton, and Argentinians Eduardo Romero and Vicente Fernandez were two up on Tom Watson and Curtis Strange after just three holes.

The other two matches were all square.

Latest scores on first day of UBS Cup, Sea Island, Georgia

United States names first:

(Foursomes)

Arnold Palmer v Tony Jacklin 2up (after 9 holes)

Rocco Mediate v Nick Faldo

Scott Hoch v Carl Mason 1up (8)

Hal Sutton v Bill Longmuir

Raymond Floyd v Bernhard Langer 2up (5)

Hale Irwin v Colin Montgomerie

Mark O’Meara A/S Barry Lane (6)

Craig Stadler v Ian Woosnam

Brad Faxon A/S Des Smyth (3)

Bruce Lietzke v Rodger Davis

Tom Watson v Eduardo Romero 1up (2)

Curtis Strange v Vicente Fernandez