Lee Westwood believes mistakenly searching for "another level" to his game cost him three years of his career.
Westwood ended Colin Montgomerie's seven-year reign as European number one in 2000, winning six tournaments that season to match the record set by Montgomerie, Nick Faldo and Seve Ballesteros.
He reached as high as fourth in the world rankings and was a vital member of Europe's Ryder Cup team, but then did not win again for almost three years and slumped outside the world's top 200.
After two wins in 2003 there followed another four-year barren spell before his 17th and 18th tour titles in 2007 and the 35-year-old has looked back to his best this year with one second place, three thirds and two fifths - most significantly coming close to a first major title in the US Open after finishing one shot out of the play-off.
Asked after an opening 67 in the Ј3million Barclays Scottish Open if he had taken his game to another level, Westwood said: "There is no other level.
"I made that mistake back in 2000 where I looked for another level and it cost me three years of a career really. Another level is a fallacy."
Westwood's flawless round - which ended when a birdie putt from five feet on the last lipped out - left him three shots behind joint leaders Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand and Sweden's Alexander Noren, who led by one from former US Open champion Angel Cabrera.
And it also left him in confident mood ahead of next week's Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.
"I've never been as confident going into an Open as I am at the moment," he added.
"When I won the Order of Merit in 2000 this was the sort of consistency I showed, but I won six events on tour that year.
"I haven't been far off winning four or five events this year, it's a fine line between finishing third like I've done and winning like I did in 2000."
Heavy rain overnight and this morning meant the start of play was delayed by 90 minutes, and Westwood admitted he feared the worst.
"I would have settled for getting round without getting wet, it was a miracle," he added. "I got up at 5.30am and I can tell you it was lashing down at 6am."
Playing partner Colin Montgomerie birdied the last for a 69, two under, but had the embarrassment of bogeying the eighth hole.
Yesterday the Scot revealed he had played the hole 18 times on the morning of his recent wedding here - once with each group of guests - and managed 14 pars and four birdies.
"If I ever bogey that hole I'm in big trouble. I think I'd have to walk off," he said yesterday, but three putts today meant he did exactly that.
"There was almost too much pressure to make a par," Montgomerie conceded. "A good wedge at the last made up for that and 69 is okay, not a very good start but it's a safe start."
Jaidee has missed a large part of this season with a prolapsed disc in his back and will fly home for treatment next week - unless he qualifies for the Open by finishing in the top five here.
"I have my back injury because it's such a long flight, 10 or 11 hours, from Asia to Europe," explained the 39-year-old former paratrooper. "I saw a doctor and he told me I cannot do anything for three months.
"The doctor wants to see me again and then he can see what's wrong and then he can do something. I have to go for an X-ray but if I get in I could play next week."
Jaidee set the early clubhouse target and was joined late in the evening by Noren, who had started from the 10th and went out in 34 before covering the front nine in just 30 shots.
Phil Mickelson and Ernie Els both struggled to live up to their star billing, Mickelson carding a level par 71 and a frustrated Els dropping two shots in his last three holes to finish one over.
"Right now I should not even play tomorrow, that's how I feel," said Els, twice a winner here and third last year.
"I played some good stuff and bad stuff and probably could have finished two under quite easily but it was tough."
Mickelson, who lost in a play-off to Gregory Havret 12 months ago, carded three birdies and three bogeys and said: "I just couldn't get the ball to drop but I fought hard to get it round near par.
"After a three-week lay-off I sometimes have trouble with my putting in the first round back but I'm looking forward to tomorrow and a round in the low 60s can get me back into the tournament."
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