All eyes on Poulter as Monty starts well

After a Union Jack at the Open and Stars and Stripes at the US PGA Ian Poulter came up with another eye-catching outfit for the start of the Daily Telegraph British Masters at the Forest of Arden today.

This time the 29-year-old was in all white – with one leg of his trousers bearing the red English cross of St George.

It must have brought back horrible memories for playing partner Colin Montgomerie, who 13 years ago wore a jumper bearing the Scottish flag for the final round of the Scottish Open and then suffered one of his most disappointing defeats when Australian Peter O’Malley played the final five holes in an incredible seven under par.

The seven-time European number one has never worn the jumper again.

While Poulter played the first three holes in one over par, however, Montgomerie sank a 10-foot putt on the 10th and by two-putting the long 12th for another birdie moved into a share of the lead at two under par with England’s Gary Emerson and Frenchman Benoit Teilleria.

Lee Westwood was the third member of the all-Ryder Cup group. Like Poulter he bogeyed the 11th, but like Montgomerie he birdied the next.

There was a joke shared between Montgomerie and Westwood on the 11th. The Worksop golfer pushed his drive into the rough and, with Poulter over the other side in sand, Westwood asked Montgomerie to judge whose turn it was to play.

“Sure, I’m good on the rules,” he replied with a smile, a clear reference to the fact that on Tuesday evening he was questioned by the tour’s tournament committee about an incident in the Indonesian Open in March.

Montgomerie finished fourth, but last week decided to donate his £24,000 (€35,100) prize money to the tsunami appeal after watching a video of his replacing of the ball by a bunker in the second round.

When play was suspended because of a thunderstorm he had left the course in a none too happy mood and had not marked his ball.

On his return it was not there and, after conferring with his playing partners, he had put another into play, but the video showed it was not the right place.

After complaints the committee decided to issue a circular to players saying they had expressed their dissatisfaction with Montgomerie’s actions, but there has been no punishment.

European Tour chief referee John Paramor said today that if the matter had come to light at the time Montgomerie would have been given a two-stroke penalty or been disqualified, depending on whether he had signed his card or not.