Golf Events / Editor / 30 June 2007 /

It's been a while since Colin Montgomerie was in the thick of the action challenging for a tournament lead but he will go into this weekend with high hopes that he can return to the winner's enclosure at the French Open.

The eight-time Order of Merit winner has not tasted victory since triumphing at the Hong Kong Open back in November 2005 but lies just one shot behind leader Simon Khan on four-under-par at the halfway stage in Paris.

Ryder Cup colleague Paul McGinley stands on a similar mark after making a welcome return to form on the fairways at Le Golf National with the experienced Thomas Bjorn, Tom Whitehouse, Zane Scotland and Kyron Sullivan a shot further back on three-under.

But with the likes of Thomas Levet, Jose-Filipe Lima and Martin Kaymer gathered in the group on two-under and 14 players within three strokes of the lead, there promises to be plenty of ups and downs before the winner is finally crowned on Sunday afternoon.

Montgomerie began the week trading as long as 46 but his improved showing has now elevated him to tournament favourite and he can be backed at 5.8 to win, with Khan on offer at 8.4.

McGinley is available at 12 to claim only his fifth European Tour title ahead of Bjorn (11.5), Levet (18.5), Jacquelin (27) and the quartet of Lima, Kaymer, Whitehouse and Soren Hansen (all trading at 28 to win).

After hauling himself back to within touching distance of the world top ten, Montgomerie has seen his ranking slip over the last 12 months and he is now only just inside the top 50.

Before this week, the Scot was last seen in competitive action storming off the course after crashing out at the US Open at the halfway stage - his second successive missed cut.

But Monty, who has managed just two top-ten finishes in 2007, looks a different animal this week and, importantly for him, feels he has rediscovered the swing that brought him so much success in the 1990s.

Armed with a new caddie, Montgomery - trading at 2.66 to place in the first five and 1.39 to finish in the top ten - covered the back nine of his round on Friday in 33 strokes to eventually card a 70 and raise his hopes of ending his barren spell.

Khan will not be an easy man to pass though. Buoyed by his joint-seventh finish in Germany last week, the Englishman has shown improved form on the greens this week after going back to an old putter.

He has winning form on the European Tour having triumphed at the 2004 Celtic Manor Wales Open and, at 2.28 to place in the top five and 1.35 to finish in the top ten, could be a sound bet to challenge for the major honours.

Everyone in Europe will be delighted to see McGinley's name near the top of a leaderboard after a miserable start to the season.

The Irishman, trading at 3.35 to finish in the top five, has struggled for birdies in the first six months of the year and had carded just 11 rounds (out of 40) under 70 prior to this week.

But six birdies on Thursday - his best of the year - and a second successive 69 on Friday mean that he will play alongside Khan in the final group in the third round.

It's been a while since McGinley was in such a position and Khan could be a good bet at 2 to beat the Irishman (2) in their head-to-head pairing.

There are few players more talented than Bjorn on tour when the big Dane is in the mood, which seems to be the case this week, and he may be worth following at odds of 2.9 to come in the first five and 1.45 to finish in the top ten.

Tom Whitehouse has been one of the tour's form players over the last month as top ten finishes in Wales and Austria testify, and it is no surprise to see him challenging again.

The young Englishman, 2.7 to register another top ten finish, will face a new challenge on Saturday though when he plays alongside Montgomerie and he is trading at 2.82 to beat the Scot (1.57) in their two-ball.

Lima has carried on in France where he left off in Germany last week (finishing second to Niclas Fasth) and could be the player to follow at the weekend at odds of 3.75 to come in the first five.

Jyoti Randhawa and Soren Hansen - both on two under-par - are well placed to challenge over the weekend and look invitingly priced at 34 and 28 to win respectively.

And keep an eye out for the French duo of Levet and Jacquelin, who will be desperate to win on home soil in front of their own supporters.

Levet has still not fully recovered from the ear infection that has affected his year so far but he's not far off full fitness and returning to his best, as he showed last week when coming joint ninth at the BMW International Open.

Jacquelin's form has dipped slightly in recent weeks but he still has six top-ten finishes to his name in 2007 and, lying just four shots off the lead, has a good chance of making it seven.

Nick Dougherty's hopes of finishing high enough this week to earn a place at The Open remain alive as he stands in the group on level-par and appears well priced at 34 to win.

Celtic Manor Wales Open winner Richard Sterne (30 to win) is on a similar mark and he could repeat what he did in Wales and come off the pace to win.

Of the rest of the field, David Lynn (60 to win) and Robert-Jan Derksen (75) are also close enough to the lead and may be worth following at attractive prices.

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