Monty, McIlroy to go head to head

Colin Montgomerie has been paired with Ryder Cup prospect Rory McIlroy for the first two rounds of the 3 Irish Open.
Colin Montgomerie has been paired with Rory McIlroy, the 20-year-old he fully expects to be part of his Ryder Cup team next year, for the first two rounds of The 3 Irish Open in Baltray on Thursday and Friday.
While McIlroy has burst into the world’s top 20 this season, Montgomerie has plunged to 176th in the rankings, missing the halfway cut in the Spanish and Italian Opens over the last two weeks.
The third member of the group is defending champion Richard Finch, whose victory at Adare Manor last year is best remembered for him falling into a river after playing his third shot to the closing par five.
Padraig Harrington has Ryder Cup team-mates Lee Westwood and Miguel Angel Jimenez as his playing partners, while John Daly, joint runner-up in Turin on Sunday, tees off with Paul McGinley and England’s Oliver Wilson.
That is providing Wilson is not ruled out by neck and chest problems as he was at last week’s Players Championship. The Ryder Cup player has been receiving treatment ever since.
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