IT WAS a golfing tour de force, as brilliant a performance as has ever been witnessed in this country. With a course-record final round of 62, the holder, Colin Montgornerie, secured the top prize of Pounds 125,000 in the Murphy's Irish Open at Druids Glen yesterday, to retain the title by the remarkable margin of seven strokes.

In overwhelming his young challenger, Lee Westwood, who had led overnight by three strokes, the 34-year-old Scot achieved a stunning, 10- shot swing. And his 15-under-par aggregate of 269 was easily the best in this championship on parkland terrain, even if it was outside Bernhard Langer's record 267 at Royal Dublin in 1984.

"I'm delighted to have defended the title so well," Montgomerie said. "This is the best performance I have put together over four rounds in Europe since my first win in Portugal in 1989. I didn't fully appreciate just how well I was playing until I saw the problems that players like Faldo, Woosnam and Olazabal were having."

When Langer shot an aggregate of 269 at Portmarnock in 1987, it became the stuff of legend. Even the player himself conceded he had never enjoyed such good fortune on a course. That was on fast-running links terrain: Montgomerie equalled it on a severe, parkland layout on which only 14 players finished below par.

And at least the Scot outdid the German for one, championship record: Montgomerie's final round was a stroke better than the previous best of 63, by Langer, in 1985.

Watching Montgomerie surge ahead of Westwood, one was reminded of the movie The Cincinnati Kid, in which the veteran king of the card-sharks, Edward G Robinson, crushes the young pretender, Steve McQueen. In the moment of truth, Edward G remarks: "You're good kid, but as long as I'm around you'll always be second-best.

Europe is Monty's domain and being second-best to him is no disgrace. Indeed, some outstanding talents were forced to bow to his supremacy on this occasion. For instance, Jose-Maria Olazabal moved into a strongly challenging position when a nine-foot putt for an eagle at the long fifth brought him to five-under-par.

Indeed he improved to six-under by chipping dead at the long 11th. Even at that, however, he was still six strokes behind the rampant leader, though the considerable plum of third place and a prize of 46,940 Ryder Cup points beckoned. In the event, the Spaniard moved in the opposite direction, carding score-wrecking double-bogeys at the 13th and 15th, largely through poor driving.

That effectively left the door open for Nick Faldo, winner of this championship in 1991, 1992 and 1993. And as Faldo noted Montgomerie's front nine of 30, memories would have been revived of his own outward journey of 30 on the way to a course-record final round of 65 at Mount Juliet, four years ago.

Playing in the third-last pairing, Faldo said alterwards: "Looking at the leaderboard, I knew third was the best I could do. I'm pleased with that. It's a few more (Ryder Cup) points for Seve. I have three more qualifying tournaments (Lock Lomond, British Open and USPGA Championship) and a win could get me in." In fact he is up to 21st place on 174,781 points.

Faldo then went on to explain how his caddie, Fanny Sunesson, was stunned after hitting her head on an overhanging sponsor's board while leaving the third green. "Some guy came out of the crowd and carried my bag to the fourth tee," he said. "I asked if he was expensive or cheap."

He went on: "With that, he gave me the wrong club. Luckily Fanny came back. She was shaken and I thought of getting a medical five-minute break to give her a chance, but she was all right."

Earlier in the championship, Faldo had complained: "My putting's killing me." There were some decidedly indifferent shots from tee to green, however, as he plodded along, level par for the round after the opening 13 holes. Then a 20-footer found the target for a birdie at the 14th; he hit a glorious four-iron to two feet for another birdie at the next, and he finished with a birdie for 68, by sinking a 20-footer at the 18th.

That Paul Lawrie's 67 was the second-best round of the day speaks volumes for the quality of Montgomerie's play. Certainly, the pressure was not comparable, in that the other Scot was attempting merely to improve his position among the pack.

Neither of them, however, faced as daunting a challenge as Westwood, rated by Montgomerie as Europe's best player under 30. And despite a devil- may-care attitude, the 24-year-old Englishman would have been acutely aware of recent struggles on the final day against quality opponents - such as Olazabal in the Canaries, Langer in the Benson and Hedges and Montgomerie at Slaley Hall.

Westwood's closing rounds in each of those events were 71 (to Olazabal's 67); 72 (to Langer's 69) and 70 (to Monty's 65). As things turned out, he would need to have shot 64 to win on this occasion. Frankly, it was never on.

His problems started at the first which he three-putted from the front fringe while Montgomerie sank a 15-footer for an opening birdie: an instant two-shot swing. And they were tied on eight-under-par two holes later when the champion sank a 10-footer for birdie.

Westwood regained the lead after a pulled drive into rough cost Montgomerie a bogey at the fourth. From there, however, the Scot began to take control. The 517-yard fifth was reduced to a drive, five-iron and a 35- foot putt for eagle, and he went on to claim the lead outright, by sinking putts of four feet and eight feet for birdies at the eighth and ninth.

Yet, with an outward 34, the pretender was still very much in the picture. His challenge was effectively killed, however, by his play of the next two holes. At the 10th, Westwood pulled his drive into rough beside the oak tree guarding the left side of the fairway and, after missing the green left, carded a bogey.

Then came an ill-judged drive in which he attempted to bite off too much of the dog-leg at the long 11th. The ball finished in a clump of heather from which he was forced to take a penalty drop, and he did well to make a par instead of an anticipated birdie.

With the gap now three strokes, the tartan noose tightened. And though Westwood covered the remaining holes in one over - he got up and down from a bunker for a birdie at the long 16th - he was wiped out competitively by the majesty of his opponent's play.

I didn't think 62 was on and in the circumstances Lee did very well to hold on to second place, particularly after three-putting the first," said Monty. "It's always a big thing to earn your first Ryder Cup place, and I've no doubt he will be a great asset to the team in Valderrama."

He went on: "This is almost a major championship as far as I'm concerned, and my round today ranks up there with my 65 in the US Open at Congressional." He concluded: "To be honest, I didn't really line up my putt on 17 (for his last birdie). I was just trying to get it close."

Of course by that stage the title was won, and an Irish Open tradition of delivering outstanding champions had been splendidly maintained. Indeed since the championship was revived in 1975, its winners have captured no fewer than 19 major championships and led the European Order of Merit 16 times. And Montgomerie ranks with the best of them.