Bogey blues change to birdie bliss for Bjorn

Scottish Open: Thomas Bjorn, a Dane who is in the process of being born again, continued his rehabilitation with a remarkable round of 67, four under par, in the second round of the Scottish Open yesterday.

His total of 135, seven under, placed him only two shots behind Gregory Havret, of France, who surged into the lead with a 64 with an eagle and three birdies in the last six holes and one shot adrift of the trio of David Howell, Ian Poulter and Phillip Price.

Into contention, too, came Graeme McDowell, who surged up the leaderboard after shooting 65, for 137. Three shots further back is Wexford's Damien McGrane, who added a 71 to his opening 69.

Big name Irish casualties, however, were Ryder Cup stars Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley, who finished outside the 142 cut mark. McGinley finished on 143 as did Gary Murphy who, after opening with a 68 on Thursday, fell away to a 75. Clarke was one shot worse after yesterday's 73.

Bjorn bogeyed his first three holes, the testing 10th, 11th and 12th. This, remember, is the man who had walked in after six holes of the first round of the European Open at the K Club last week, unable to cope with being on a golf course with a game that was not under his control. What on earth would he make of a start that was every bit as calamitous?

"There were a few growls," admitted Bjorn, who was clad in upbeat red, "but I didn't give up and I holed a good putt for par on the 16th, from about 10 feet, and that probably saved the day for me."

The transformation could not have been more astonishing had he nipped into the nearest telephone box and emerged as Superman. He strode to the 17th tee and embarked on a run of five birdies in a row.

He hit a five-iron to 12 feet for a two at the 17th; hit an eight-iron to 12 feet at the 18th; a nine-iron to within inches at the first; a seven-iron to three feet at the second and then driver, five-iron to 30 feet (two putts) at the 518-yard third. Then there was a bogey, a pause-for-breath par followed by three successive birdies.

The sixth, all 625 yards of it, was devoured with a driver, three-wood and sand-iron to three feet; the seventh was covered with a driver and a seven-iron to 15 feet and at the eighth he hit a nine-iron to two feet for a two.

Out in 36, one over par, the Dane had come home in 31, five under. "I have gone from being very, very average to very, very good," said Bjorn, who had "no expectations whatsoever" at the beginning of the week. "I still don't have any," he added. "I am just happy with what I have done and I will go from here. I wouldn't have believed that I could have turned it around like I have done."

Last Sunday, Bjorn had a long heart-to-heart session with his long-time coach Pete Cowen, whom he had discarded in search of perfection, and they are getting back to basics.

"Thomas had lost the streetfighter instinct," Cowen said, "and he'd taken the blinkers off but all the great teams are built in adversity and one of my favourite sayings is that the road to success is always under construction. He'd lost his focus, which just means that you've got to be able to concentrate at the right time."

A refocused and revitalised Bjorn is just what Europe's Ryder Cup team will need come September - the Dane has contributed mightily to two victories against the United States - and Colin Montgomerie is another man on the road to redemption.

The ever-emotional Scot had six birdies in a 68 that put him well in contention on 137, a shot ahead of his playing partners Lee Westwood and Ernie Els, the defending champion.

"That's part one accomplished," Montgomerie said, "to beat the two of them over the first two rounds. And I tell you what, they way they are both playing, if I can stay ahead of them for 72 holes, I'll probably win. Lee is full of confidence right now and Ernie speaks for himself. God, he's so relaxed it's a joke."

There have been no duff winners at Loch Lomond and Howell, who had a 64 that featured six birdies in an inward 30, Poulter (67), who has yet to drop a shot, and Price (69), who is vastly experienced, can all be there at the death.

Havret has only the Italian Open of 2001 to his name and with seven missed cuts on his CV this season, his form remains a mystery.