Montgomerie a master

IF he should ever consider a holiday home in Ireland - to go with his abodes in England, Scotland and, most recently, Florida - Colin Montgomerie is likely to settle for a plot in Wicklow, the self-styled "Garden of Ireland". And, most especially, a site close to Druids Glen.

"This is a very, very good tournament venue," gushed Monty, after taking apart a course which has had many of Europe's top players virtually on their knees. Montgomerie, the conqueror, sculpted out a remarkable nine under par 62 to dismantle the two-day old mark of Sweden's Michael Jonzon.

The Scot's newest course record, he reckoned, was "up there with the best of them". Even if it included one blemish - a bogey at the fourth, where he drove into rough and failed to reach the green with his seven-iron recovery - his round featured all the elements of a king ensuring the retention of his crown.

Eight birdies and one eagle, more than offsetting the bogey, conspired to propel Montgomerie into a different stratosphere. He started off with a seven-iron approach to 15 feet at the first to open his birdie spree, then hit a sandwedge approach to 10 feet for another birdie at the third.

He negated the effects of his bogey with a superb eagle at the fifth, reducing the 517-yard hole to a three wood and five-iron to 35 feet, and sinking the putt. At the eighth, he hit a seven-iron to four feet and rounded off the front nine with a nine-iron approach to eight feet for an outward 30.

On the way home, his two-iron second shot to the long 11th finished 50 feet from the pin and he took his two-putt birdie; at the 12th, he hit a nine-iron approach to five feet for his sixth birdie of the afternoon. He found sand for the first time at the 16th where his fairway driver landed in a greenside trap, but he hit a sandwedge to eight feet for another birdie. And he hit a five-iron tee-shot to 35 feet for another stunning birdie at the 17th. In all, Montgomerie had 28 putts - and the satisfaction of an exceptional new course record.