Torrance lifted by Langer and Poulter
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Your support makes all the difference.Sam Torrance, the European captain, received a timely double boost ahead of next month's Ryder Cup before making an early exit from the BMW International Open yesterday.
Torrance completed nine holes of his first round before pulling out with a back injury, but not before seeing Bernhard Langer, of Germany, and Ian Poulter at the top of the leaderboard. Langer compiled an eight-under-par 64 while Poulter, on standby to play at The Belfry if any of the 10 automatic qualifiers withdraws, was one shot behind alongside his fellow Englishmen Robert Coles and Richard Bland.
Poulter missed the cut in this event last year to end his chances of qualifying automatically for the team to face the United States at The Belfry at the end of September. But the 26-year-old's 11th place in the points table earned him the consolation of being first reserve, and while several of Torrance's team struggle with injuries and poor form, Poulter seems to be peaking at the right time.
Colin Montgomerie's back injury appears to offer Poulter the best chance of getting into the team. The former European No 1 is missing this week's event to rest the injury which has bothered him all season. Padraig Harrington has also been struggling with neck and ankle injuries while Lee Westwood, Philip Price and Paul McGinley have been out of form for much of the season.
Langer, who will make his 10th cup appearance at The Belfry, has won every European Tour event held on German soil at least once apart from this one and looked determined to correct that here with seven birdies in a row from the 18th.
Another on the seventh would have equalled the tour record but his putt from 20 feet was off target. "I didn't know about the record but it's nice to be in this position," added Langer, who celebrated his 45th birthday on Tuesday. Bland looked like overhauling Langer when he covered the back nine in just 30 shots, but picked up one more birdie, coming home to match Poulter.
The defending champion, John Daly, had eight birdies but four bogeys and a double-bogey in an adventurous 70, a score matched by Harrington, the man he beat by a shot last year, and his playing partner, Justin Rose.
Seve Ballesteros, making his first appearance since being disqualified from the Irish Open two months ago for signing for an incorrect score, had birdies at the last two holes for a 72.
BMW OPEN (Munich) Leading early first-round scores (GB or Irl unless stated): 64 B Langer (Ger). 65 I Poulter, R Coles, R Bland. 66 T Immelman (SA). 67 A Butterfield, D Lynn, R Claydon, S Little, P Fowler (Aus), J Spence, K Eriksson (Swe). 68 T Bjorn (Den), *B Miarka (Ger), D Park, S Khan, S Tinning (Den), D Lee, M Tunnicliff, A Forsyth. 69 M Farry (Fr), T Levet (Fr), F Jacobson (Swe), T Jaidee (Thai), A Marshall, M Brier (Aut), C Suneson (Sp), F Andersson (Swe), G Owen, J Haeggman (Swe), P Golding, P Eales, G Emerson, H Bjornstad (Nor).
*Denotes amateur
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