Monty passes dress rehearsal

If Colin Montgomerie's start was anything to go by on Tuesday, he is in for another sparkling Ryder Cup.

First Montgomerie gave the crowd a laugh when he arrived on the driving range and pointed out to them what he called the team's "Ian Poulter-style" trousers - dark, but with a light stripe down the seams.

Then he entertained those around the opening green when he began his practice round with David Howell, Luke Donald and Paul Casey. Montgomerie sank a 20-foot putt, responded to the applause by saying "it gets better than that" and promptly walked across the green and holed from 30 feet.

The 43-year-old Scot is earning his eighth cap and has an incredible record of only two defeats in his last 18 games.

Darren Clarke also received an impromptu putting lesson from close friend Lee Westwood.

The duo were waiting to tee off after warming up on the range and Clarke was going through his routine on the putting green.

Westwood came up behind him and spent several minutes watching the Ulsterman's stroke as he tried to hole a right-to-left 10-footer with limited success. After a few pointers from the Englishman they headed off to the first tee.

Clarke, who is playing at the K Club less than six weeks after the death of wife Heather from cancer, had the longest walk of his fourball - Irishmen Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley made up the group.

Everyone lining the route wanted to pass on their best wishes and Clarke was asked to sign many more autographs than his team-mates.

When he finally did reach the course he had obviously taken on the advice from Westwood as, faced with a similar curling putt to the one he had been practising, Clarke rolled it in with ease for a birdie three.