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under par is good enough for me at the moment. In fact it's perfect golf on this course."

Montgomerie was upset with the notice on the first tee advising the players that they had been moved down to the medal tee at the 13th to avoid a repetition of Thursday's congestion there. "It was a position we hadn't played from before, so none of us knew the line," he said after a round of 70.

He went on: "I'm afraid I don't like that sort of thing - making the course easier. It seems that the intention is to suit the majority and not the minority. This is the Irish Open Golf Championship of 1997, so why move the tee forward because of a 20-minute delay? Let's play the golf tournament."

Whatever about the 13th, the holder will know he is in a contest over the next two days against a leader who is unlikely to back off.