Monty makes early start

Colin Montgomerie is wasting no time re-launching his 2004 Ryder Cup campaign, joining Lee Westwood in the field for the South African Airways Open at Erinvale on January 15-18.

Montgomerie has decided against a repeat of this year when he tried his luck on the US Tour up to the Masters in April and missed a string of halfway cuts, including Augusta.

“We’re always learning and I won’t go again, not for that length of time without a break,” he said.

The 40-year-old failed to win a European Tour title for the first time since 1992 and finds himself outside the top 20 in the Ryder Cup standings after the first three months of the race.

Westwood, in contrast, heads the points list after ending three barren years with sparkling victories in the BMW International Open in Germany in August and the Dunhill Links championship in Scotland a month later.

The opposition in Somerset West will include defending champion Trevor Immelman, Ian Poulter, Phillip Price, Justin Rose, Paul Lawrie and Paul McGinley.