Montgomerie's Ryder Cup hopes get boost with 70

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Colin Montgomerie: "I'm disappointed not to have done better."

GLENEAGLES, Scotland (AP) -- Colin Montgomerie shot a 3-under 70 to give his Ryder Cup selection chance a boost in the second round of the Johnnie Walker Championship Friday.

Bradley Dredge, meanwhile, held the clubhouse lead after shooting a 70 to move to 5 under. Overnight leader Gregory Havret played later.

Montgomerie, the veteran of eight Ryder Cup teams, needs a victory or close to it to persuade European captain Nick Faldo to make him one of the two wild-card picks on Sunday for the match next month against the Americans at Valhalla outside Louisville, Kentucky.

He was tied for 10th halfway through the second round, three strokes off the lead.

"I have to show form to have any chance. If I win I have a sporting chance but I don't necessarily have to win," he said.

Darren Clarke, another Cup veteran seeking a wild card, struggled on the greens and shot a 73, missing three putts from within two feet in a round that included 34 putts.

Justin Rose, who is eighth in the Ryder Cup standings -- with the top 10 earning an automatic berth -- shot a 71 to sit level with Montgomerie. Soren Hansen, who is ninth in the standings, also had a 71 but hurt his wrist playing a shot out of the rough at the 12th hole. He said he did not think the injury was serious.

But Ross Fisher, who needs to improve on this 13th place in the Ryder Cup standings, could only manage a 74 and slipped to 26th in the tournament.

Oliver Wilson, trying to hang on to his 10th place, was playing later Friday and needed a big improvement on his opening 76.

Montgomerie birdied four of his first 12 holes after starting on the 10th Friday and dropped his only shot at the eighth hole, where he three-putted.

"A 70 is an OK round here. It proves I made the (right) decision not to play Holland last week and come here for practice," he said. "I'm disappointed not to have done better because I didn't convert chances at the sixth and seventh and didn't birdie the last."

Two other contenders for wild-card selection, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey, are playing in the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston this weekend.

Clarke, winner of the Dutch Open last Sunday which put him back in the wild card hunt, said he struck the ball better Friday than in his opening 72.

"But the greens got me," he said. "I had 34 putts. From tee to green I'm playing as well as I did last week."

Clarke has played in the last five Ryder Cups, four of which were won by Europe.

"I just have to keep playing well and avoid the footprints on the greens," he said.