GOLF: If Colin Montgomerie's ailing back should rule him out of the Ryder Cup it may be a case of as you were for his caddie Andy Prodger.
The one-time professional, sitting it out at home in Scotland after Monty withdrew from the BMW International, found himself in Munich after all yesterday and carrying the bag of Ian Poulter, the man who would step in if the seven-time European number one pulls out of the match at the Belfry next month.
Poulter put in an SOS to Prodger, once Nick Faldo's regular bagman, when his own caddie Jimmy Rae was rushed to hospital with pneumonia. Prodger, available for Ryder Cup duty should Monty and Rae cry off, arrived only 40 minutes before tee-off but the partnership clicked smoothly with Poulter launching his round with an 18-foot birdie and surging to the turn in 31. He ended with a 66 to share the lead on 131 - 13 under par - with his fellow Britons Jamie Spence (64) and Richard Bland (66).
Poulter explained: "I've been with Jimmy for two and-a-half years but the last couple of weeks he's been unwell and I told him to take some time off, but he's stubborn and came out here anyway.
"He must have been sick 15 times on the course yesterday. I ordered him to see a doctor and the ambulance people whipped him into hospital where pneumonia was diagnosed and he was put on a drip. He's going to be on antibiotics and out of action for three or four weeks, and obviously I wanted someone experienced on the bag in his place and luckily Andy was available.
"It was difficult for him at first but I wrote down exactly how far I hit every club. It's not much different from what Monty hits and it worked out very well."
The 50-year-old Prodger said: "I planned a barbecue on Saturday with my wife and I was gobsmacked when I got the phone call. .
"But I'll be working with Paul Casey in Switzerland next week and back with Monty if he's fit at the German Masters the week after in Cologne."
Rae was not the only man on sick parade. The overnight leader Bernhard Langer, who next month makes his 10th appearance against the US, set the alarm bells jangling when he almost had to pull out with food poisoning.
After posting an opening 64 for a one-stroke lead he had to draw on all his famous fighting qualities to carve out a 69 for 133, which left him two behind the leaders and one adrift of his Ryder Cup team-mate Thomas Bjorn, home in 30 for a 64.
Langer must have thought the curse had struck again as he staggered into action with two bogeys, then he took six at the 6th. But five birdies coming home in 32 kept him in the hunt. Langer's caddie Russell Holden was also hit by the bug but he managed to soldier on. Few will bet against his man storming back over the weekend.
Ireland's Paul McGinley is seven off the pace after a 68 for 138 while Padraig Harrington made it on the cut of 140 after a second successive 70. Des Smith on 144 after a 71 missed the cut.
