By Phil Casey, PA Sport, Augusta

Colin Montgomerie will renew his successful Ryder Cup partnership with Bernhard Langer in the hope of boosting his chances in this week's US Masters.

Montgomerie and Langer formed an unbeaten pairing in last year's European victory at The Belfry, winning two and a half points out of three and finishing as the top two points scorers for Sam Torrance's side.

And for the first time, the Scot and the veteran German will play a practice round together at Augusta - weather permitting - as Montgomerie looks to learn all he can from the two-time Masters champion.

Montgomerie has suffered a miserable start to the year, failing to break 70 in five strokeplay events in America and losing in the first round of the World Matchplay to Alex Cejka.

The former European number one then pulled out of last week's BellSouth Classic in nearby Atlanta and planned to fly home for a few days, but changed his mind and stayed in America before making his earliest visit ever to a rain-soaked Augusta.

"I was going to go home, but went to Alabama instead where my wife's sister lives," the 39-year-old explained.

"I just wanted to give the children a holiday. Taking the children back home would have been disappointing. It would have been failure, if you know what I mean.

"In the past, nine times out of 10 I would have gone home with them in tow. But I thought, 'hang on a minute. They have looked forward to coming out to America for three weeks and now they are going home after three days'.

"They only came out on the Wednesday of the Players Championship and I was finished by Friday and we were about to go home.

"'This isn't right', I thought, so I did the right thing. Now I am looking forward to Augusta in a different kind of way.

"I am very relaxed now and really looking forward to this. Much more so than in the past, much more so. I am playing well. I really should have made the cut at the Players and that would have been fine for me. But there are no problems.

"I drove myself over to be here on Sunday, it's a change of routine for me. And I have decided to play a practice round with Bernhard Langer. He has won the thing a couple of times, and so has his caddie Pete Coleman.

"That can only help and I hope it pays off. I have never had a round here with Bernhard before, I have never had the time. Normally I get in Monday or Tuesday, but getting here on Sunday gives me enough time.

"Bernhard was here already and he says, 'you don't mind if we spend all day here Tuesday, do you?'

"And I said, 'playing golf with you means all day!' So I will be here all day with him on Tuesday.

"I will give Andy (Prodger, his caddie) a day off and my coach Denis Pugh will caddie for me. It's the only way he can get inside the ropes here. It's the only way he can see certain shots and things that we can practice on Wednesday."

Montgomerie will also be picking Prodger's brain for help on how to deal with the famous Augusta layout. Prodger was on Nick Faldo's bag for the Englishman's first Masters victory in 1989.

"Having Andy on the bag is a real advantage," added Montgomerie, who has finished in the top 20 for four of the last five years here. "I have been in the last group here a couple of times and I do enjoy it here.

"Everyone has said it's the Major that I wouldn't do well at, but it might be the one that comes up trumps. You never know.

"I would be happy with top 10 here. I would consider that a good performance here. And then if I could get in that top 10 and be in a position to do very well, then we can see what happens.

"That's when Andy could prove invaluable, just give me a little bit extra. It might just make the difference."