Coltart hits the front

Former Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart hit back from failing to qualify for the French Open on Tuesday by taking a share of the early lead at the BMW International Open in rain-sodden Munich today.

Coltart’s five under par 67, completed just after a 25-minute hold-up because of the weather, put him alongside French playing partner Gregory Bourdy.

A wild card pick for the 1999 match against the Americans in Boston, Coltart has had to go back to the European Tour qualifying school the last two years, and although he now has a card again his lowly ranking does not get him into every event.

“I didn’t even get close to making the French Open, I don’t have an invite for the Scottish Open either and I’m already booked into do radio again in The Open next month, so I’m obviously delighted with that round,” said the 39-year-old.

He was one over after five holes, but birdied the long sixth and then roared home in a five under 31.

“Unfortunately there’s been a lot of rain and after that last shower the course can’t take much more,” he added.

“It’s incredibly heavy underfoot and I think we were fortunate to be able to play.”

Paul McGinley, hero of the 2002 Ryder Cup match, was only a stroke behind along with Swede Henrik Stenson – at fifth in the world the highest-ranked player in the field and ninth in the US Open on Monday – England’s Oliver Fisher and Richard Finch and also Spaniard Alvaro Velasco, who shared top spot until finishing with a bogey six.

Defending champion Martin Kaymer stood two under, but Irish Open amateur winner Shane Lowry, yet to make a cut as a professional, was two over and American star John Daly one worse than that.

Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie, Rory McIlroy, Bernhard Langer and Retief Goosen were among the later starters.