Donald boosts Cup hopes

England’s Luke Donald took another step towards a Ryder Cup debut next month when he went to the turn in a three-under-par 33 to share the early lead in the BMW International Open in Munich today.

Donald and Colin Montgomerie, the two favourites for Bernhard Langer’s wild cards on Sunday, were paired together for the opening two rounds and Donald turned on the style just as he hoped he would with birdies at the 11th, 13th and 18th.

After two poor weeks in America – 70th at the US PGA and 58th at the NEC World Championship – Montgomerie’s form has a question mark over it, but his experience and brilliant Cup record does not.

He also has the support of most senior members of the European tour in his quest for a seventh cap, but his goal was not to rely on word of that reaching Langer – currently in the United States for the start of his daughter’s college education – and to show that his game is back in good shape.

Re-united now with former caddie Alastair McLean, Montgomerie did not drop a shot either on the back nine of the rain-sodden Munchen Nord-Eichenried course, but his only birdie came at the 319-yard 16th and he was annoyed not to match Donald’s chip-and-putt four on the 568-yard 18th.

Both hit two lovely shots to the fringe of the green and the Scot played the better chip, but after Donald had holed from seven feet Montgomerie missed from four.

Alongside Donald on three under was France’s Philippe Lima and also Swede Joakim Haeggman, one of those who can still play their way into Langer’s team.

A week ago Haeggman pulled out of the Akron event following an opening 80 and flew home to “clear his mind” before going for the fifth place he needs this week to have a chance of a second cap 11 years after his first.

Two days away from his 35th birthday, Haeggman had a hat-trick of birdies from the 11th and the good news for him was 10th-placed Paul McGinley had to be content with six opening pars.

Frenchman Jean-Francois Remesy is the one closest to McGinley in the table, but even if the Dubliner misses the halfway cut he still has to finish seventh to catch him and that looked a long way off when he turned in a two-over 38.

That included a double-bogey six on the 14th and a bogey six on the last, where he pulled his drive into water.

Ian Poulter, not safe yet at ninth in the standings, set off with a bogey and remained one over after eight, while Brian Davis, needing fourth place, had a birdie at the 12th, but a bogey two holes later and then six pars in a row.

Donald three-putted the short second, but as another heavy downpour started he birdied the next two and at four under led by one from Haeggman and Dane Soren Kjeldsen.

McGinley broke his string of pars with a brilliant eagle on the 18th to be two under, but Montgomerie had to battle hard to remain one under, Davis was still level par after 14 and Poulter still one over after 11.