Monty and Clarke on the road to recovery

Ulsterman at home on familiar territory while Scot makes the most of technical switch

A new trophy for the Smurfit European Open was unveiled yesterday. Why the old one, won in each of the last two years by Lee Westwood, had to be replaced is not known. The new trophy is made from Waterford crystal, took 135 hours to sculpt and features a map of Europe.

Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomerie never got their names on the old trophy and may be hoping for better luck now. They both opened with rounds of 68, in which neither dropped a stroke to par, to maintain their recent revivals.

The K Club, originally designed by Arnold Palmer, is playing tougher than in previous years. Each year as the trees grow the lines off the tee become tighter while the rough this year is at its most severe. Rounds without a bogey, or worse, were at a premium in yesterday's first round. Michael Campbell, who went to the turn in 30 and then parred the entire back nine, headed an eclectic group of leaders at five under which included Massimo Scarpa, of Italy, and Norway's Henrik Bjornstad.

Campbell hit birdies on five of the first eight holes and had chances on the other three which lipped out. The New Zealander shares a sports psychologist, Jos Vanstipout, with the US Open winner Retief Goosen. It was Campbell who decided to take Vanstipout out to the Open but, when he became instrumental in Goosen's victory, the South African offered to pick up the tab for the Belgian's accommodation and business class airfare. Goosen played alongside Campbell and scored 69, while Westwood, the third member of the group, had a 71.

Clarke collects things in multiples, having three homes and seven cars, including three Ferraris. The Ulsterman retains the distinction of being the only player to have recorded two rounds of 60 on the European Tour. One of those was at altitude at Mont Agel, high above Monte Carlo, but the other was here two years ago.

It was comfortably the finest round of his life but did not win him the tournament as Westwood came from seven behind on the final day to deny his friend. Clarke is now 17-under par for his last three rounds after his closing efforts of 65 and 64 last week to finish tied for second behind Montgomerie at the Irish Open.

If Clarke was delighted to maintain his run of form, it was crucial for Montgomerie to follow up his first win in Europe for more than a year with a solid performance. "This round was very important," the Scot said. "A win is great but it's no use if you don't build on it. I didn't want to come here and finish 30th. It would be easy to have a week 'off', if you like, but, for those of you who know me, that is not my way of competing."

Montgomerie, who set up two of his four birdies with eight-iron shots that finished within six inches of the hole, remained coy about exactly what it was he changed about his address position prior to the Irish Open that has made such a difference. "I tried something on the practice range and it clicked," he said. "Five scores in the 60s in a row is okay. There was a technical difference I made but the change in confidence is huge. The game is still 95 per cent between the ears."

Scarpa earned his first European Tour title last year at the North West of Ireland Open. The Italian first played the game left-handed before switching around but continues to use two left-handed wedges. "When I switched I was struggling with my short game," he explained. "There are some shots I can't see playing right-handed."

Bjornstad would like to be half the player Thomas Bjorn is. He is in only his second full year on tour after first being introduced to the game when a friend of his father came to a barbecue and mentioned he had some clubs in the car.

"I asked to try them and became hooked immediately," said the 22-year-old whose home course in Oslo is only open from June to September. Ballesteros is a predictable hero for a young European golfer, but the other golfer who he says has influenced him most is, more surprisingly, David Duval.

EUROPEAN OPEN (Co Kildare) Leading early first-round scores: 67 M Scarpa (It); H Bjornstad (Nor); M Lafeber (Neth); M Lundberg (Swe). 68 G Rojas (Arg); D Clarke; C Montgomerie; B Rumford (Aus); M Gronberg (Swe). 69 I Woosnam; J Sandelin (Swe); R Wessels (SA); D Howell; R Goosen (SA); P Casey; N Fasth (Swe); R Gonzalez (Arg). 70 G Owen; M A Jimenez (Sp); P Lawrie; R Jacquelin (Fr); A Forsyth; S Kjeldsen (Den); D Lee; C Rocca (It); B Davis; D Terblanche (SA); M Mouland; P Harrington; P Price; R Green (Aus); W Bennett; D Robertson; M Farry (Fr). 71 P Baker; E Simsek (Ger); A Cabrera (Arg); P O'Malley (Aus); R Muntz (Neth); J F Remesy (Fr); I Garbutt; G Brand Jnr; P Eales; O Edmond (Fr); G Emerson; C Cevaer (Fr); M A Martin (Sp); G Turner (NZ); I Poulter; J Spence; B Langer (Ger); L Westwood; S Hansen (Den); J Senden (Aus); S Leaney (Aus); S Scahill (NZ).