John O'Sullivanhears why Colin Montgomerie is playing with renewed confidence.

The last time Colin Montgomerie strode onto a tee-box at The K Club he was raucously serenaded to the tune of La Donna è Mobileby Rigoletto ahead of his Ryder Cup singles against David Toms. That was on the adjoining Palmer course last September, but yesterday on the resort's younger sibling, the Smurfit course, it was the Scot's golf that was suitably tuneful as he shot a six-under-the-card 64 in difficult conditions for a share of second place in the Kappa Smurfit European Open.

There were substantially fewer punters around to witness his latest tour de force, a round he would champion as his best in the last eight years.

A mixture of squally showers, strong winds and intermittent sunshine is hardly the ideal recipe for excellent golf, but Montgomerie's ball striking was sufficiently assured and, perhaps more importantly, it is fortified by confidence.

His third-place finish at the French Open seems to have exorcised the demons of this year's US Open at Oakmont, where his second-round total was nearer to the reading on the thermometer than to par.

A fundamental change to his swing and a decision, taken while the Scot was watching a Sky Sports golf programme, to take Mark Roe's advice and opt for the belly putter, have been the twin catalysts for his current rude health, mentally and physically.

He smiled: "Everyone said how well I putted at the Ryder Cup in 2002 with that (the belly putter); I never missed. I'm trying to go back to that stroke.

"This is what I used to do in the mid and late 90s, finishing third, fourth or even winning and going home without realising what I had done.

"That's what I was feeling for those seven years that I was number one.

"It's nice to have that feeling and it has returned. I never played this well in 2005. The last time I played this well must have been 1999, when I won six times out there. That was the best I had ever played (1999); so we are talking eight years ago."

The Scot offered a technical overview of a recent swing change that has enabled him to reclaim the ball striking of his pomp; at least for the time being.

The recent US Open appears to have been something of a watershed, from the perspective of playing so poorly.

A split with his caddie was offered as some mitigation in terms of his preparation but he didn't try to excuse what happened on the other side of the ropes.

These days Montgomerie chooses silver linings rather than storm clouds, and as a three-time Irish Open champion he's keen to annex another victory in this country.

A lighter moment came when he dwelt briefly on the impact of global warming in an Irish context: "The weather is unbelievable. The two Irish Opens that were played on my course at Carton House were completed in horrendous weather and the Irish Open that Padraig (Harrington) won was horrific. The Ryder Cup was horrific; this is horrific. And we are looking forward to coming back for the Seve Trophy in September. Bring your umbrellas."

He recovered from a bogey on the second hole to birdie six of the next 10 holes and give himself a rake of other opportunities.

Arguably the shot that gave him most satisfaction was the seven iron he cut off the left-hand bunker - it came to rest a couple of feet from the pin - for his final birdie.

Experience will confirm all he has done to date in the tournament is put himself in position to contend for outright honours. The business end of the assignment begins today when his new-found swing utopia will receive a more strenuous test.

Patience could be the key virtue over the weekend.