Monty takes early honours in Ryder Cup buildup

Newport: If early points were being handed out to the respective captains at this week`s Ryder Cup, Europe`s Colin Montgomerie would have established a clear advantage over his American counterpart Corey Pavin.

While Pavin has been reluctant to divulge much detail about how United States` preparations have gone so far at Celtic Manor, Montgomerie has been bullish about his own team`s build-up. On the first day of official practice, Montgomerie extolled the virtues of his entire 12-man lineup while also giving a clear indication of some of his pairings for the opening fourball matches on Friday.Montgomerie also clarified Europe`s policy on Tweeting, saying posts on the social networking website would be allowed if they respected what went on in the team room. The US have not relaxed their own ban. "Tweeting has not been banned," Montgomerie told reporters. "Whatever they do (in the posts), whatever they are, respect is shown for what is said within the team room."That`s what I have banned. They can do whatever they have to do elsewhere regarding their thoughts." Europe have been billed as favourites for the 38th Ryder Cup, despite having lost the 2008 edition at Valhalla where the Americans triumphed by 16-1/2 points to 11-1/2. Bureau Report