Bjorn again at the K Club

Thomas Bjorn’s return to the Smurfit European Open at the K Club – the event he walked out of after just six holes last year – has gone like a dream so far.

This time 12 months ago the 34-year-old Dane had fled Dublin in a real state and was back at his Wentworth home, fighting the “demons” which had turned him into a quivering wreck on the course.

Now, after a second round 69, he stands five under par at halfway and, when first round leader Trevor Immelman had three front nine bogeys and defending champion Retief Goosen two, Bjorn took over top spot.

Padraig Harrington was among those who made an early exit on this occasion. Five days after winning in America the world number eight had rounds of 79 and 74 for his worst 36-hole total in Europe since 1996.

He blamed mental fatigue and he hopes to have his focus back for the Open at St Andrews in two weeks’ time.

Bjorn is looking forward to that too, having finished second behind Tiger Woods on his first visit to the Home of Golf in 2000, but he is concentrating on this weekend first.

The event has switched back this season to the one on which Ireland’s first-ever Ryder Cup will be staged next September.

These are also the holes on which Bjorn won a diamond for his wife Pernilla four years ago, so he did at least have a happy memory to feed off on checking back into the same hotel room.

“I tried to forget that that course is on the other side of the river,” he said. “I’ve put it behind me and thank God you don’t see it too many times when you’re out there.

“There are a lot of guys that go through stuff like that. You can try to stand on the driving range and battle your way through or you can go home and get a bit of perspective on things.

“I chose the second one and I think that was the best thing I ever did. The one thing I take from the experience is that most good players will bounce back from situations like that.”

He could think of no better example of that than new US Open champion Michael Campbell, on whom Bjorn would not have put a penny to become a major winner this season when they were partners in Australia in February.

“I’ve always looked at Michael and I as very similar type of guys. All of a sudden we will go and perform very, very well.

“I honestly thought he had a big problem. Didn’t look like he had many problems two weeks ago.

“I think his win was great for everybody in golf except for Tiger Woods. Everybody who hasn’t won a major championship will see that as encouragement.”

Bjorn, of course, led the 2003 Open by three with four to play, but played them in four over par to lose by one to Ben Curtis.

His seven-birdie, four-bogey round today was a real mixed bag, but he was delighted by the way he stuck at it when things were not going well.

In late afternoon Bjorn was joined at five under by Welshman Jamie Donaldson, who still had three holes to play.

One behind were Goosen, England’s Jonathan Lomas and Graeme Storm, Australian Brett Rumford, another South African in Charl Schwartzel and another Dane in Anders Hansen.

Campbell was level par with six to play, while Colin Montgomerie was still waiting to discover if his four over total was good enough to survive.