GOLF: Level-headed Lee is back in the old routine at Loch Lomond

The list of luminaries who beat the world then went in search of the next level, only to lose the plot completely, is a distressingly lengthy one and includes such names as Seve Ballesteros and Sandy Lyle.

At Loch Lomond on Thursday, Lee Westwood revealed himself as another whose pursuit of the promised land led only to the wilderness. The difference in his case, as he effortlessly showed in the first round of the Barclays Scottish Open, is that he has found his way back again.

Bunkered: Westwood plays out of sand in his first round at Loch Lomond

‘It did cost me three years of my career,’ he said pointedly after an opening 67. ‘There is no other level. Another level is a fallacy.’

What happened during those three years is that he went from being world No 4 to world No 266. Now he is back in the top 20, and nothing that happened here would have changed the minds of those who consider him the leading British hope for The Open at Royal Birkdale next week.

Frequently outdriving playing partner Colin Montgomerie by 40 yards, the 35-year-old Englishman compiled 14 pars and four birdies, the one small wispy cloud on an otherwise sunny horizon being that he didn’t convert more of the opportunities his play created.

That would be the one small caveat you would make against his chances next week: can he hole enough putts?

They counted all the sound engineers out with this match, and thankfully they all made it back again. This time, Monty concentrated his attention on a more familiar target, the legion of photographers who were obviously hoping for the sort of incident that led to the temperamental Scot balling out a Sky sound man at the European Open last week.

As befits his current relaxed frame of mind, Westwood found it all hugely amusing watching Monty direct the media traffic.

Regarding his golf, Monty played well enough, compiling a two-under-par 69. He even saw the funny side when someone drew attention to one of his two bogeys, at the par-three eighth.

On his wedding day here last April, Monty played the hole 18 times with his guests and made 14 pars and four birdies. ‘That’s sod’s law for you, isn’t it?’ he said.

Back in the swing: Monty kept his composure on home ground

The cosmopolitan nature of the European Tour was emphasised by the pacemakers, as Thongchai Jaidee, from Thailand, and promising young Swede Alexander Noren posted wonderful scores of 64, while Argentina’s former U.S Open champion Angel Cabrera shot 65. Cabrera is trying to follow in the footsteps of his mentor and compatriot Eduardo Romero, who won here in 2002.

‘Heavy rain and flooding forecast — please drive carefully,’ said the illuminated sign on the way to the course. In the event, the Met Office’s prediction proved up to their usual standard, with not a single player getting wet until the late finishers suffered a few drops.

To be fair, it had lashed down overnight, causing an 80-minute delay for the morning starters. When play began, Westwood followed the sign to the letter, driving so carefully that he missed only one fairway.

Even without the expected monsoon, it was one of those days which would have
confirmed to the stayaways that this is no place to prepare for The Open.

The fairways were so wet that preferred lies were in operation, the greens so soft that even mid-iron shots were spinning back. It was hard to imagine anything further removed from the challenge that will confront the players at Birkdale.

But for those who believe that competition is the important thing the week before a major, they will find plenty of that this weekend as well, with a number of big hitters, including Sweden’s Henrik Stenson on four under, in position to flex their muscles on a course that suits them to a tee.

Ulsterman Graeme McDowell continued his good form of late, also going round in 67. While most players have one eye on The Open, he has one on the Ryder Cup and could confirm his place in the team for Kentucky with a top-two finish this weekend.

Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els struggled to impose themselves in the afternoon. The American went round in 71 and was comfortably outscored by his playing partner, England’s man of the moment Ross Fisher, who shot 68.

South African Els bogeyed two of the last three holes for a 72 and was so upset he said afterwards: ‘Right now I should not even play tomorrow, that’s how I feel.’

Fisher began with three birdies in his first four holes and threatened to continue where he left off during last week’s stunning European Open win.

A clumsy bogey at the easy par-four ninth, alas, led to a more prosaic back nine. Nevertheless, after all the interest that has followed his victory at the London Club, this was a good effort.