Golf/ Singapore Masters: Colin Montgomerie believes his game is returning to the level of the all-conquering days when he dominated the European Tour after carding a seven-under-par 65 in defence of his Caltex Masters title in Singapore yesterday.

The 41-year-old Scot was in scintillating form at the Laguna National Golf and Country Club as seven birdies and no bogeys gave him a three-stroke lead over English duo Nick Dougherty and Mark Foster and Malaysia's Danny Chia.

Best of the Irish quartet in the field was Gary Murphy who fired a two-under 70 to share 12th place. Graeme McDowell and Peter Lawrie were on two over par.

But Damien McGrane, despite recording 15 pars in his round, also included a triple bogey seven at the 13th and a double bogey at the par three 17th to eventually sign for a six-over-par 78.

A year ago Montgomerie dropped only one shot in four rounds on his way to a three-stroke victory on the same course, but he believes he is in even better shape than 12 months ago. He went as far as saying the round reminded him of happier times when he won the European Order of Merit seven times in a row.

"I really feel that this is a fantastic start to the new year, it is the way I used to play in the 1990s where I didn't make mistakes," he said. "I am always very proud of the fact when I finish a round of golf and I haven't made a mistake.

"I never missed a green today, hardly missed a fairway and that was as good as I have ever done in these circumstances.

"To start out a year where the pressure is on for me to get my world ranking back to where it should be, and I know it should be in the top 20, this is a fantastic start."

Apart from the win here last year, an encouraging performance in the British Open at Troon and holing the winning putt in the Ryder Cup in September, Montgomerie endured a pretty miserable 2004 with a slump in form coinciding with a very public divorce from his wife, Eimear.

However, he has adopted a more positive approach this year and on this evidence it is paying off.

"You can't win a tournament on the first day but you can lose it, and I am looking forward to continuing," he added. "I have (former caddie) Alastair McLean back on the bag and I am as happy on and off the course as I have ever been in my life, so this is a great start to what hopefully will be a good year."

Foster and Dougherty both enjoyed bogey-free rounds of 68 and they are a shot clear of the chasing pack - which includes Danes Soren Hansen and Soren Kjeldsen.

Lee Westwood, the highest-ranked player in the field, began with two birdies but bogeyed the 392-yard fourth and after nine successive pars picked up another shot at the par-four 14th for a two-under-par round of 70, alongside Welshman Jamie Donaldson.

In contrast, Ryder Cup team-mate David Howell rescued his round with birdies at the final two holes to finish one over par.