Langer undecided over Ryder Cup wild cards

European Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer insists he has not yet made up his mind on either of his wild cards – bad news for Colin Montgomerie on a day when he ran up a nine on one hole.

Montgomerie’s chances of qualifying automatically for next month’s match nosedived with a third-round 78 at the United States PGA Championship in Wisconsin.

Montgomerie was not whistling a happy tune on Whistling Straits after driving into water, finding sand and rough and then compounding it all by three-putting on the 598-yard fifth.

It led to the 40-year-old Scot finishing close to last of the 73 players who had survived the halfway cut.

At seven over par he was also 16 strokes adrift of leaders Vijay Singh and Briny Baird, who had only just set off for their day’s work.

Montgomerie is favourite for a Ryder Cup pick from his former partner Langer, but the German said: “There are a lot of the guys playing well and I’d much rather have that than nobody.

“The bad thing is that I’m going to have some disappointed ones who don’t make it, but it’s the same race for everybody – they all had 12 months to qualify.

“If you are not in the top 10 there are no guarantees. All I can tell you is that I have not made up my mind.”

Montgomerie has to climb from 21st to 10th in the standings to be an automatic selection and there are only two more counting events to come.

On his nine he commented: “It knocked the wind out of me – it really hurt. I hit the drive 15 yards right of where I was aiming.

“One bad shot and there has to be a lake in the way. It’s amazing. But never mind, I’ll try again tomorrow.

“There’s nothing wrong with my game. A couple of shots get away here and you run up a high number.”

Langer was certainly right about several cup candidates playing well. Darren Clarke remained one off the lead after two holes of his third round, while both Padraig Harrington and Brian Davis stood three back at six under.

Like Clarke, Harrington is certain of his place at Oakland Hills, but Londoner Davis has fallen to 14th in the race in recent months and got back into the picture with a hat-trick of birdies from the third after reaching the 36-hole mark at three under.

Paul McGinley, Europe’s hero two years ago, is one place behind Davis and he made an even bigger move today when he charged from one under to six under. But then came a bogey six on the long 11th.

David Howell, currently eighth, had a 70 playing with Langer and with a round to play stood two under, while one further back was Ian Poulter, ninth in the standings.

Poulter also shot 70, but was looking for better than that. The Milton Keynes golfer is 61st in the world rankings and reckons he needs a top-10 finish tomorrow to climb into the top 50 and therefore qualify for next week’s NEC Invitational at Firestone.

“I probably need six under in the final round now,” commented Poulter. “But I’m not going to hang around for the last man to finish – I’m booked on a flight home and hopefully I’ll get off the other end and come all the way back.

“That’s not a problem. I sleep very well in first-class!”

Travelling has proved a problems in terms of luggage, however – not just for Poulter, but also Paul McGinley.

The Dubliner’s manager Andrew Chandler flew to Milwaukee this week not only with his own suitcase, but one for McGinley to replace the clothes lost at the start of the week and one for Poulter containing yet more colourful trousers.

Chandler’s own case was the only one to arrive, however, so McGinley had lost two sets of clothing on the trip. But both eventually turned up.

Tiger Woods, having birdied two of his last three holes to make the cut yesterday, resumed with three more in the first five.

Joint 104th after his opening 75, he climbed all the way to 14th. The world number one did bogey the seventh, but pitched to five feet two holes later and then had his fifth birdie of the day on the long 11th.

A second bogey did follow on the next, though, and after a second successive 69 for three he knew he was dependent on the leaders falling back to have a chance.