Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood will have the showdown everybody wanted at Woburn today.

The two players who have dominated golf in Europe this season - Montgomerie with five wins and Westwood with victories on his last three starts - are at the top of the leaderboard at the halfway stage of the Victor Chandler British Masters.

On a day perfect for low scoring, Westwood, chasing a record-equalling fourth successive triumph on this side of the Atlantic, had thrown down the gauntlet by shooting a morning 66.

It put him in the lunchtime lead on the 10-under-par mark of 134. But then Montgomerie gave his reply - and it was even more impressive.

After resuming with a bogey he birdied five of the next eight holes to turn in 30 and then made it seven in 11 holes to grab top spot.

By finishing with two more, the 36-year-old Scot carded an eight-under-par 64 - one outside the course record - and, added to his opening 67, he enters the third round three strokes clear of Westwood.

"We are spurring each other on," said Montgomerie. "It's good for the tour and good for the tournament in two weeks' time." He was referring to the Ryder Cup, of course.

In a tournament sponsored by a bookmaker, Westwood revealed that he had snapped up odds of 7 to 1 on him and Montgomerie finishing first and second (in either order). Italian Silvio Grappasonni, never higher than seventh in a European Tour career going back to 1985, lies third and then come American Bob May and England's John Bickerton, and Montgomerie's fellow Scot Raymond Russell. Montgomerie is seeking a sixth win for the season which would equal the tour record held by Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo.

The fact that their head-to-head is happening on home soil is revealing because both admit to preferring life in Europe to the US.

Westwood has announced he aims to solve that particular problem by playing less in the States - music to the ears of the European Tour.

"My wife doesn't enjoy it too much in America either and I just prefer being in Europe," he said.

"The crowds aren't as rowdy. There was a lot of shouting when I played with Tiger Woods at the US PGA last month, but it happens week-in week-out whoever you play with."

"I just don't think they can help it. It's not my cup of tea. Golf's a game for gentlemen. That's the way I was brought up - it's not a football match."

In front of fans he would love to carry around with him, Westwood matched Montgomerie's nine birdies - and not one of the putts he holed was longer than 12 feet.

Most spectacular was a wedge to the 356-yard 17th hole which missed the green but then spun back around 20 feet to within three inches of the flag.

Darren Clarke, Westwood's possible Cup partner in Boston, also shot 66 to improve to seven under. The Ulsterman described it as his best round since the tour record-equalling 60 during the European Open at the K Club.

Clarke was six clear there with a round to play, but while Westwood came through to win with a 65, he shot 75 and was down in the dumps for a while.

At the start of the day May achieved only the third albatross in Europe this year. May sank a 228-yard three-iron for a two at the 502-yard 10th hole.

If the shot had come on the 514-yard 18th he would have become owner of a racehorse for a year. As it was he had to settle for a day's ownership.