Harrington maintains form
Montgomerie sank a 209-yard four-iron on the 516-yard third at Kingsbarns, but played the other 17 holes in level par for a 69 that left him seven adrift of the Dubliner.
On the same course Harrington repeated the six-under-par 66 he had produced on the opening day at Carnoustie and with that moved from one behind Eduardo Romero to one ahead of the 48-year-old Argentinian.
''My first albatross was in Switzerland in 1990,'' said Montgomerie, who is partnering former Liverpool and Scotland football international Alan Hansen in the ÂŁ3 million celebrity pro-am event.
''I was playing with Seve Ballesteros, shook his hand on the first tee and then shook it again four minutes later. It was my second shot of the day.
''That was a three wood, so I must be getting longer. I made eagle on the same hole last year and albatross this year I'm going to struggle to keep that going next year. I will have to find a long driver.''
That hole apart, Montgomerie admitted he had largely found it tricky on the least familiar of the three links courses being used.
''This is the one that will make or break a score within the four rounds,'' he said. ''None of us know it as well as we do Carnoustie or St Andrews.''
Harrington had eight birdies, the last two at his final two holes to take him above Romero.
Even though he can still win the European Order of Merit, he has yet to win this season, but is trying not to get too anxious about that.
''I'm not rushing to prove anything in the next couple of weeks,'' he said. ''Basically I'm happy that my game has improved and I'm working on the principle that the wins will come eventually and don't press it.
''I would not say I've been anywhere near my top form with how I'm swinging the club here, but I've got a good mental attitude and I've worked my way around the course.
''What I've done is hit the important shots well I had four putts for eagle today. I've hit some bad ones elsewhere, but because of the nature of links golf you can get away with it.
''It's nice to be back playing links golf. I'm suited to it and don't have to adjust that much. Obviously you have to hit different shots, but it comes pretty natural to me.''
Harrington's amateur partner is racehorse owner JP McManus and they are leading the team event. Joint-third are Gary Lineker (with Thomas Bjorn) and former South African cricketer Barry Richards (with Henrik Stenson).
Third in the individual race is Swede Mikael Lundberg and joint-fourth Bjorn and Indian Jyoti Randhawa. Sandy Lyle is among those one further back.
Next best of the Ryder Cup nine is Phillip Price in a group on seven under that also contains Order of Merit leader Retief Goosen five back while Montgomerie is alongside Ernie Els.
Four of the team need to improve their position to make the cut after the third round tomorrow. Lee Westwood, after a 68, and Darren Clarke are level par and joint 64th, Paul McGinley one over and Pierre Fulke seven over.
England's Miles Tunnicliff, joint 22nd on four under, was disqualified after his round at Carnoustie for taking an incorrect drop from a bunker at the short 16th.
The winner of the Great North Open at Slaley Hall in June declared his ball unplayable, but dropped it outside the trap rather than in another spot in it.
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