GOLF: Colin Montgomerie put the cat right back among the pigeons with a surprise "don't count me in yet" warning about his chances of playing in the Ryder Cup after yesterday's German Masters final round in Cologne.
It looked odds-on the 39-year-old Scot would declare himself fit and raring to go after rounds of 71, 66, 68 and 67 on his return following a month off nursing a bad back.
His 16-under-par 272, which meant he finished in ninth place, six shots behind the winner Stephen Leaney of Australia, was the best return of the eight Ryder Cup team members playing in the build-up to next week's clash with the Americans at The Belfry.
Leaney carded a final-round 67 at the Gut Larchenhof club for a 22-under par total of 266, to finish one shot ahead of Alex Cejka.
Leaney earned the biggest cheque of his career with the £315,000 first prize and the win lifted him to 10th place in the Order of Merit as well as qualifying him for next week's World Golf Championship at Mount Juliet. It also meant a five-year Tour exemption.
Despite wearing a shirt of that hue, Montgomerie insisted he was far from in the pink physically. After missing a five-footer for birdie at the 15th and a 10-footer for his solitary bogey at the last he explained: "I was in pain out there - very much so. That's normal. I was tiring when I missed that one at the 15th and a top-10 finish is good because I was just practising to be honest.
"Fifteen under par for the last three rounds proves things are going well with my golf but if I don't feel I can play five times for Sam I won't go to the Ryder Cup whether he wants me to or not. My gut feeling is that I'll be OK. I'll give Sam my decision after the American Express event in Ireland next week."
Montgomerie, who pulled out in the second round of the NEC World Championship in America on August 23rd with back pain, had played no competitive golf until he teed up in Cologne.
Intensive treatment on his lower back injury appeared to have paid dividends and he declared himself "feeling fine" during the week. Yesterday's declaration was thus something of a bombshell.
Torrance himself, ironically, having had to withdraw from the event with back trouble, was not present but his vice captain Ian Woosnam, who shared third place, laughed off the possibility of a Montgomerie pull-out. "He will be there. He says this every time," Woosnam said.
Montgomerie looked his old self in picking up six birdies in the first 13 holes but faded, covering the remaining five in one over par. Defending champion Bernhard Langer was next best of the Ryder squad after a three-under 69, despite uncharacteristically three putting one green and missing a two-footer on another.
Padraig Harrington, still feeling a twinge from an injury to his neck and playing with his left ankle strapped, shot a 68 to end 14 under par with the resurgent Swede Pierre Fulke (68).
Denmark's Thomas Bjorn, a tour winner in Munich a fortnight ago, closed with a 69 for a 12 under par tally. The Swede Niclas Fasth waltzed round in 65 to end seven under on 281, with a steadily improving Lee Westwood (71).
Only Paul McGinley, with a 75 for 286 and a share of 70th place, gave cause for concern.
"It wasn't horrendous but I had 33 putts in rounds three and four," McGinley said. "I played a hell of a lot better than I scored."
