Monty gets ball rolling early

South African Open: Colin Montgomerie makes an unusually early start to his season in the South African Open beginning today.

The second event of the European Tour season boasts a strong field, with resurgent Lee Westwood also among the favourites.

In the absence of Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke, the Irish challenge is led by Paul McGinley and completed by the former Irish amateur champion Ciaran McMonagle, 2003 "rookie of the year" Peter Lawrie and Mark McNulty, formerly of Zimbabwe and now playing under the Irish flag.

"It is not necessarily an earlier start because it is a Ryder Cup year," said Montgomerie, the seven-times European number one. "I think I have taken too long off in the past, to be honest. I am about a month and a half earlier than usual.

"Because I didn't play at Sun City last year or at Tiger's (Woods) event in Los Angeles, I finished around about three weeks earlier. So I'm just starting where I would have done although it happens to be backed up a bit.

"I look forward to going to Bangkok in two weeks' time and over to Asia. This is a good start to the year for me as it is an easy flight with only a two-hour time difference."

Montgomerie, who has not won in 14 months on the European Tour, is not only making an early start but also playing with new clubs and a new caddie in a part of the world he has never visited.

"I have new irons and woods from Yonex and I'm looking forward to testing them out in competition," he said after the pro-am at the Erinvale Golf Club. "I have only used them on the range so far so hopefully in competition they will come up to scratch."

"I also have a new caddie in Andy Forsyth, who worked with Mark McNulty for three and a half years."

Westwood ended a massive slump in 2003 when he claimed the BMW International in August and followed up with victory at the Dunhill Links Championship. He has continued to work hard in the gym and on the practice range and was quietly confident before the tournament.

He describes his regime as playing a major part in the way he now looks and feels.

"Just after Christmas I started doing some gym work, working with Steve (Hampson), who has done work with Darren Clarke - although I am not trying to shift as much weight as Darren has lost," he said. "But I wanted to tone up a little bit and I have come out this year a little bit fitter than I have been.

"There is no real downside to being fitter and I spent three days with coach David Leadbetter in early January. I did a lot of work there, I probably hit 2,000 balls.

"It is a continual process and we are not going to do anything dramatically different, but there are a few things that we are going to be working on - the shaping of my shots to give me a bit more distance, things like that."

Trevor Immelman defends the title he won 12 months ago, his maiden victory on the European Tour launching a superb year that culminated in victory at the World Cup of Golf with fellow South African Rory Sabbatini.

The 156 competitors battling it out for the world's second-oldest Open title were greeted by inclement weather in practice yesterday and will be hoping that the infamous Cape Doctor - the wind which blows in these parts - lies low for the next four days.