Cup candidates state their cases

The message should have reached Bernhard Langer in America loud and clear - Paul McGinley, Colin Montgomerie, Luke Donald are all looking good.

While Europe’s Ryder Cup captain was settling his 18-year-old daughter Jackie into college, the trio produced a good day’s work in Munich and edged closer to being part of the team which will defend the trophy in Detroit next month.

Montgomerie matched his best round since he won in Singapore in March, a five-under-par 67 putting him joint second alongside 2001 winner John Daly and just behind fit-again US Open champion Retief Goosen at the BMW International Open.

Playing partner Donald, the other favourite to be handed a wild card by Langer on Sunday, produced a 68 and McGinley, desperate to hang on to the 10th and last automatic spot, stayed on course to do it with a 70.

The Dubliner’s fate is in his own hands while that of Montgomerie and Donald is in Langer’s.

So when Donald, never having played competitively with the Scot before, was greeted on the first tee by the words “Do you think we’re OK?” he wondered what Montgomerie was referring to.

However, the seven-time European number one insisted afterwards he was talking about the weather and not the Ryder Cup.

“I would never, ever say that to him going to the first tee,” he stated firmly.

“I’m far too professional for that. I meant was it going to rain or not.”

It did. Several times.

Donald, under the greater pressure to impress because he does not have Montgomerie’s record to help his case, was the quicker into his stride, reaching four under after 13 holes.

But there was a three-stroke swing between them at the 481-yard sixth, their 15th. Donald rolled off the bank by the green into water and took six, Montgomerie hit a superb five-wood to 15 feet and made it for eagle.

Langer may, of course, have already made up his mind to have Europe’s top scorer two years ago in his line-up – the vast majority of players think he should – but Montgomerie said of his round: “It doesn’t hurt, does it?”

Certainly not, after finishes of 70th and 58th in America the last two weeks.

The most notable difference was the caddie by his side – Alastair McLean, back after a two-year break to renew a hugely-successful 10-year partnership. McLean even broke off a holiday to fly to Germany.

“We got a bit stale, but we were both quite wise never to shut the door and I feel very confident with him there,” Montgomerie said.

On Donald the 41-year-old commented: “He was very impressive. He’s under quite a lot of pressure to perform and he’s performing very well for a young man.

“As a rookie (in cup terms) I think he’s under slightly more pressure and that’s why I think his score was better on the day than mine.”

Donald would prefer it actually counted up to one shot better, of course, but he was delighted nonetheless to hit back from last week’s disappointing finish at the NEC World Championship.

“That was probably my biggest pressure week. I really wanted to get on the team automatically,” he said.

“Bernhard’s a smart guy. He knows the situation, how I’m playing and how everyone else is playing, I’m sure. He’ll make a good decision.”

The other two main contenders for the wild cards would appear to be Swede Fredrik Jacobson and German Alex Cejka. Jacobson, needing a fifth-place finish at worst to climb into the top 10, managed only a 71, but Cejka matched Donald’s 68.

McGinley’s biggest danger entering the final counting event was Jean-Francois Remesy, but he shot a two-over-par 74.

Joakim Haeggman, lined up to be one of Langer’s assistants, is still a threat after a 69. But he has to be fifth and that is asking a lot a week after he shot 80 and quit.

The three ahead of McGinley in the table – Paul Casey, David Howell and Ian Poulter – might have done enough already to earn débuts, but ninth-placed Poulter did not help his chances with a 73 and Howell had to eagle the last to equal that. Casey is almost home and dry, though, after his 69.

Irishman Graeme McDowell, Brian Davis and Raphael Jacquelin are the three outsiders in the race.

Davis, who cannot be outside the top four, and McDowell, who has to win, returned 72s, but Jacquelin’s dream of achieving the second place he requires is still alive after a 68.

Goosen, who suffered a pelvic injury while jet-skiing in Barbados last month, had not played since the Open at Troon. But even though he is still in some pain walking that did not stop him collecting seven birdies.