Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood, the two players currently dominating European golf, are set for the showdown everybody wanted after moving to the head of the field in the Victor Chandler British Masters at Woburn.
Montgomerie is chasing a sixth title of the season to equal the European Tour record while Westwood is after a fourth successive victory in Europe to equal another European Tour record.
Westwood threw down the gauntlet with a superb round of 66 on a perfect day for golf. His round included nine birdies and just three dropped shots to take him to ten under par. At that stage he was leading but Montgomerie’s response was even more impressive as he came home in 64, eight under par, to lead his Ryder Cup team-mate by three shots at halfway.
Montgomerie saw Westwood had set the target at ten under and, after bogeying the first, then fired five birdies in the next eight holes to reach the turn in 30. Another four birdies on the back nine took him within a shot of the course record and to the top of the pack.
“I think it’s super for the tournament that the two favourites and the two people who are three in a row and two in a row…..something’s got to give,” said Montgomerie.
“We are both confident of what we’re doing out there and it’s amazing what that does to you. You aim at the pins and the putts drop. The whole thing works.”
Westwood is equally confident, placing a bet with the tournament sponsors Victor Chandler, of a Westwood-Montgomerie one and two, or visa versa.
“I didn’t have to struggle at all and it’s nice to be able to say that,” said Westwood. “Ten under is the worst I could have been.”
Silvio Grappasoni occupies third on nine under par thanks to a bit of help from coach Denis Pugh and is on target for the top five finish he needs to secure his card for next season.
American Bob May started the day in dramatic style by holing his second shot with a three iron on the 502 yards tenth hole for the third albatross on the European Tour this year. The prize of ownership of a racehorse for a year was on offer for an albatross on the 18th but instead Victor Chandler awarded May the consolation prize of ownership for a day when he will be able to see the horse run in its official colours and enjoy the full hospitality at a race day of his choice.
