GOLF INTERNATIONAL OPEN: BERNHARD LANGER last night declared his German compatriot Martin Kaymer ready for the Ryder Cup after seeing him scorch to a 63 and into a five-stroke halfway lead at the BMW International Open in Munich.
"I don't think it's too early," said Langer of the 23-year-old dubbed his "Herr Apparent", who with victory on Sunday could leap from 10th to sixth in the race for places in Nick Faldo's team.
"He is a winner and he has proved that. He hits it extremely long and very straight, but what was most impressive today was his putting.
"It's great to see we have some youngsters who can hopefully take on the torch for golf in Germany in the future.
"I told him 'you're very aggressive, but you're smart at the same time like Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson'. He's got an old head on young shoulders. Going by the last two days I don't think there are any limits for him if he keeps that up."
Fifty-year-old Langer, 24 himself when he first played against the Americans in 1981, made the cut on two under, but is a massive 11 strokes behind.
And with nobody even close at the halfway stage - England's Benn Barham and the Frenchman François Delamontagne are the closest challengers on eight under - the one German trophy to have eluded Langer in his glittering career could well be in the hands of his young playing partner by tomorrow evening.
Kaymer, who produced his display despite concerns about the health of his mother, was last season's Rookie of the Year on the European Tour, then won his first title in Abu Dhabi in January and two weeks later was runner-up to Tiger Woods in Dubai - after a birdie-birdie-eagle finish.
The last of his nine birdies yesterday came on the long 18th after a 269-yard two-iron went through the green.
"I'm hitting the ball really long this week - I don't know why and it was a little scary, to be honest," commented Kaymer.
"Like yesterday on the eighth hole it was 190 metres (209 yards) and I hit a seven-iron and it was pin high. To play in your own country with all of the support is awesome."
He and Langer spoke in private after signing their cards and when asked about the conversation Kaymer replied, "I asked him if he saw anything I can improve. He told me 'you can improve your wedges a little bit' and he offered his help."
Langer commented: "That's how you learn."
While Kaymer had a day to remember - he was only one outside the course record - Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell had one to forget. Ninth on the cup table just €2,000 ahead of the Dusseldorf golfer, McDowell missed the halfway cut by a single shot after going into the water with his pitch to the 16th for a double bogey and again with his drive down the last.
"It was a weak shot - a bad shot," he said of the former. "But I was under the weather today. I picked up a stomach bug and was up all night, so no good."
Two Irishmen who did make the cut were Peter Lawrie and Gary Murphy, both on three-under-par 141, but Damien McGrane, despite shooting 70, finished on the same mark as McDowell while Rory McIlroy had another disappointing day, carding a 75 for 147.
Order of Merit leader Miguel Ángel Jiménez also crashed out, on level par, but his Ryder Cup spot looks pretty secure and it was understandable after the exertions needed for his sixth-place finish in last week's US Open.
John Daly also exited on the same mark, but the English cup contender Richard Finch, winner of the New Zealand and Irish Opens this season, is in the hunt for a third title at seven under.
