Montgomerie maintains fine form

COLIN Montgomerie kept his comeback going with a five-under-par 67 at the European Open today – and then revealed: "I don't often chase men in pink, but I did today."

The always-colourful Ian Poulter was his playing partner and he too moved to seven under par, six shots behind leader Ross Fisher, at halfway at The London Club.

The round was not without its controversial moments, with television commentator Wayne Riley reporting that on the 13th hole defending champion Montgomerie, having hit into the water and distracted as he prepared to play his next shot, turned to a TV buggy driver and said: "You are only here because of me."

Of that, the Scot said afterwards: "He was on my line and didn't want to move – that was all. He did eventually. I asked him politely."

Coming off the green, Poulter made a gesture to the camera to indicate that someone was making a noise. Asked if it was a player, he replied: "Maybe." And when questioned on television about whether Montgomerie was having a strop, he commented: "I might not have noticed."

Montgomerie then stated: "I get on with Ian quite well and there was some banter between us. There always has been. But nothing untoward."

There was an incident between the pair at the 2005 Seve Trophy match.

The 67 was Montgomerie's 10th successive round under par and his lowest in Europe since the closing 65 which took him to the title at The K Club in Ireland 12 months ago.

Fisher, who added a 68 to his course record 63, leads by one from Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell. McDowell, two behind overnight, moved ahead with a morning 67, then Fisher, having played the Kent lay-out "blind" on Thursday, had four more birdies in his first 10 holes, bogeyed the 14th and 16th, but then closed with another birdie.

Fisher said: "After a 63 you just want to show people that it wasn't a fluke and I'm pretty pleased with that.

"I didn't feel entirely comfortable with my swing, but I almost felt – it almost sounds funny – I was in the zone a little bit. I was just walking around with a tremendous amount of calmness and peacefulness in myself.

"You've got loads of superstars this week and it gives you a tremendous amount of confidence beating so many of the top boys. We'll see what happens come Sunday."

Sergio Garcia lies just four shots off the pace after hitting a second round 64. This is Garcia's last outing before The Open. He opted for the European Open rather than next week's Scottish Open because there is more of a links feel to the course.

"I'm trying to make sure that I get myself comfortable and some of the shots I've been hitting this week I'm going to be using at The Open," he stated.

"You don't want to find your swing going into a major. I'll just get some good practice at home and just try to get myself as ready as possible."

Paul McGinley, for whom a top five finish on Sunday could secure him an Open spot, kept in touch with the leaders with a 68 to go to seven under for the tournament.

For Darren Clarke that Open objective has gone. He missed the cut for a second week running, then was disqualified for signing for a par four on the last when he actually bogeyed it.

His only way to Birkdale now is to be in the top five at the Scottish Open.

Open champion Padraig Harrington had a 70, but at two under like Justin Rose appears out of the running.

It was Harrington who had marked a four down on Clarke's card, but the error was not as costly as the one which cost Harrington his place in the 2000 Benson and Hedges International. He was leading with a round to go when it was discovered he had not signed his first round scorecard.

Scot Stephen Gallacher, in the last group of the day, initially joined the group on seven under with four holes to play.

Gallacher would have finished joint fourth with Soren Hansen with a birdie over those last four holes, but instead he followed three pars with a bogey and slipped to six under alongside Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy.