Storm still on song despite late arrival

8:05am Saturday 21st June 2008

GRAEME Storm's late arrival at the BMW International in Munich - he was at a Boyzone concert in Newcastle on Tuesday night - did not stop him challenging for the lead yesterday.

The Hartlepool golfer, who partnered Ronan Keating in a pro-am last year and was offered the chance to watch him in action, added a 69 to his opening 68.

On seven under par at halfway he was only one behind pacesetters Benn Barham and Francois Delamontagne.

It was the first chance for my wife and I to go out since we had the baby (two months ago) and Ronan invited us backstage and we had drinks afterwards,'' he said.

It was the first concert I have ever been to. It's never really been my thing, but they put on a fantastic show.'' Storm, a brilliant sixth in the CA world championship in Florida in March, does not feel back to that form yet despite his start this week.

It showed in the fact that as well as having eight birdies in the morning there were also five bogeys.

Just silly mistakes, but I enjoyed myself out there,'' he said.

I made a late decision to play and to be paired with Retief Goosen and John Daly was a thrill.'' Bernhard Langer, meanwhile, declared his compatriot Martin Kaymer ready for the Ryder Cup after seeing him scorch to a 63 and into a five-stroke halfway lead in Munich.

I don't think it's too early,'' said Langer of the 23-year-old dubbed his Herr Apparent'', who with victory tomorrow could leap from tenth to sixth in the race for places in Nick Faldo's team.

He is a winner and he has proved that. He hits it extremely long and very straight, but what was most impressive was his putting.

It's great to see we have some youngsters who can hopefully take on the torch for golf in Germany in the future.

I told him 'you're very aggressive, but you're smart at the same time like Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson'. He's got an old head on young shoulders. Going by the last two days I don't think there any limits for him if he keeps that up.'' Fifty-year-old Langer, 24 himself when he first played against the Americans in 1981, made the cut on two under, but is a massive 11 strokes behind.

And with nobody even close at the halfway stage - England's Benn Barham and Frenchman Francois Delamontagne are his closest challengers on eight under - the one German trophy to have eluded Langer in his glittering career could well be in the hands of his young playing partner at the end of the weekend.

Kaymer, who produced his display despite concerns about the health of his mother, was last season's Rookie of the Year on the European Tour, then won his first title in Abu Dhabi in January and just two weeks later was runner-up to Tiger Woods in Dubai - after a birdie-birdie-eagle finish.

The last of his nine birdies came on the long 18th after a 269- yard two-iron went through the green.

I'm hitting the ball really long this week - I don't know why and it was a little scary to be honest,'' commented Kaymer.

Like on Thursday the eight hole it was 190 metres (209 yards) and I hit a seven-iron and it was pin-high.

To play in your own country with all of the support is awesome.'' He and Langer spoke in private after signing their cards and when asked about the conversation Kaymer replied: He told me 'you can improve your wedges a little bit' and he offered his help.''

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