The interview space in the press tent in deepest Surrey was so much like a therapist's room yesterday that it ought to have been furnished with a couch. One by one, the stars came, got things off their chest, and then went again, no doubt feeling better for the experience.

First came Colin Montgomerie, whose one-man mission to render the cream cake industry redundant has resulted in a massive and flattering loss of weight, saying that his self-esteem had suffered during the porky years.

Then came Nick Faldo, at 43 the oldest man in the field, who sat there wringing his hands, failing to make much eye contact, and confessing that his previously messy private life and equally messy golf had made everything pretty intolerable, until he had been told to loosen up and enjoy.

Nothing much appears to bother Ernie Els, but he is at peace with himself now that he has a new driver and can let rip with confidence.

And Sergio Garcia, who threw an unacceptable, shoe-kicking wobbly on the 15th here last year - nearly hitting the match referee in the process - animatedly told how a few months back he had had such a wigging from his dad for some generally brattish behaviour that he now realises that there are things in life more important than golf.

The West Course is Monty territory though, and he speaks not so much as a man who thinks he is destined to win here but as one who takes it as a right. If he wins here on Sunday, this will be his fifth victory in six visits to the stockbroker belt.

Three times in a row the 37-year-old Scot has won the Volvo PGA, doubling that up last year with his first victory in the Cisco World Matchplay championship. He does not merely hope for a successful defence once he enters the action in tomorrow's quarter-finals, after sitting out his bye today as one of the top four seeds, he expects it.

"I'm one up on the first tee here," he said. "I really enjoy it. I have a good record here, I know the course as well as anyone, I feel at home, my game is in good order now, and I'm full of confidence."

"Why the course suits my game so well I cannot say," he added. "But I think people get into trouble by missing the fairways, which I tend not to do, and I have control of distance with my irons."

"Also, I can usually get a decent start, and I know that if I am level par on the fourth tee, then I am going under par for the round. Every time I turn the car into the driveway here I feel confident."

Not so a couple of weeks back. His dramatic loss of weight meant that hitherto static parts of his body were unleashed and his game deteriorated.

"After the Open I lost confidence," he admitted. "I was adamant I wanted to lose weight but I did it too fast. Everything was coming through faster and I was blocking or hooking. Now my rhythm is back and I am determined to keep my weight where it is and make the golf work around that.

"I have a picture, taken at the Dunhill Cup two years ago, when I was 17 st 10 lb. I don't mind looking at it now, but for someone 6 ft 1 in tall it was totally unacceptable. "I'm 14 st now and my self-esteem has risen. I have more confidence in public, on television and in front of people generally. I wanted to feel better about myself and I do. It is important that I keep it that way."

Montgomerie waits for the winner of the match between American Bob May and Padraig Harrington, who he beat in the semi-finals last year. Darren Clarke opens his campaign in the match behind Harrington, taking on Nick Faldo.