Monty achieves cup claim aims

Colin Montgomerie achieved both his aims today – advancing his Ryder Cup claims and having another dig at Ian Poulter.

Advice from Poulter in America that the Scot should keep his head down and concentrate on playing rather than make comments about him did not go down well.

"Did he really?" said Montgomerie after a second round 70 in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles had kept alive his hopes of a wild card, possibly at Poulter's expense.

"Oh well, it is nice to be told what to do by one so young and one so inexperienced.

"Can you believe he said that? The only reason that we said 'a hotline to Faldo' is because he is the only one saying it.

"No-one is. He did say he has spoken to Nick. Has anyone else said that? No. Right then. It is Nick Faldo's decision."

And for a sign-off line Montgomerie, presumably to counter Open runner-up Poulter talking up his higher position on the world rankings and cup points table, came up with this – "Self-praise is no praise."

Asked if he felt he had to win on Sunday to have a chance of a ninth cap – two more wins in the match and he would take over from Faldo as the event's record points-scorer – the 45-year-old did not want to pile that pressure on himself.

"Not necessarily. I don't think that necessarily proves that you are on form or not. A good solid performance does. Nowadays in Europe if you finish from 10th up you are performing quite well because it is tough to win and you have to be fortunate at the right times.

"Never in any of my 41 victories have I stood up and said I was unlucky – ever."
So how gutting would it be to play well and still not get the captain's call?

"Not at all. Nick will have made the right decision. If I win, I have a sporting chance."

Over in Boston Poulter does not have time to put another win under his belt before Faldo decides.

The second leg of the FedEx Cup play-offs, which he chose to play in rather than go for the fifth place finish in Scotland that could have pushed him into the top 10 on the standings, does not end until Monday.
In the first group off in today's opening round, Poulter also had a 70, but was trailing by six when he finished and had wild card rivals Paul Casey and Carl Pettersson among those ahead of him.