Just as he did when he took third place two years ago - in only his second professional event - Rory McIlroy tamed one of the toughest holes in golf today. This time his birdie three on the famous Road Hole 17th at St Andrews helped the 20-year-old into a share of the halfway lead in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
McIlroy, needing a top-two finish to go top of the European money list, is alongside fellow Irishman Michael Hoey and Scot Richie Ramsay on 11-under-par after a superb 65, while Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke are just three shots behind.
Gareth Maybin and Graeme McDowell are five under after a 73 and a 70 at Carnousite respectively, while Pádraig Harrington is a shot adrift, on his return to Europe, after a 70 at St Andrews.
Of the remaining Irish, Damien McGrane is two under after a 71 at Carnoustie, while Peter Lawrie (70) and Gary Murphy (71) are one under and Shane Lowry is one over thanks to a one-under 71 at Kingsbarns.
What makes it extra special for McIlroy is the fact that he is competing in the celebrity pro-am with dad Gerry, 50 this coming Monday.
After three-putting the 16th for what was his only bogey on the opening two days McIlroy had his father come over to him to say: “You’ve finished 3-3 before, so why not do it again?”
The Dubai Desert Classic champion was already thinking the same, hit a drive and seven-iron to 15 feet, made the putt and then smashed another drive onto the 18th green 350 yards away - something he had never done before - and two-putted.
There is a lot at stake this weekend - not least a first prize of more than €529,000 - but before transferring to Kingsbarns for the third round McIlroy added: “I think playing with my Dad will be a great distraction.
“Growing up I never thought he’d be able to walk up the 18th at St Andrews with me in this big a tournament. It’s fantastic.”
Four off the lead at the start of the day, but given a chance to take over at the top with Thomas Bjorn adding only a 74 at Carnoustie to his 64 at Kingsbarns, McIlroy birdied the third and then eagled the 568-yard fifth with a five-wood to 12 feet.
Three more birdies were to follow before his stumble three holes from home, but that was quickly forgotten.
Ramsay, called into the event late last week on the withdrawal through injury of Paul Casey, shot 66 at St Andrews, while Hoey had the same score at Carnoustie.
Hoey, winner of the Portuguese Open in April, had a double bogey and bogey in his opening 67 at Kingsbarns, but did not make a mistake over the most difficult of the three courses and eagled the 514-yard 14th.
A top 10 finish on Sunday will secure Ramsay’s card for next season, but the former US Amateur champion can aim higher than that — and he has already taken the opportunity to blast those who knock the current state of Scottish golf.
Their highest-ranked player in the world is Gary Orr at 140th, but they are the current world and European amateur champions and they were World Cup winners two years ago.
“In America the positive attitude they have is unbelievable, whereas Scottish scepticism can creep in and it’s a difficult thing to fight,” he said. “It’s almost like some people are waiting for you to trip up. I think we’ve got to be a lot more positive.
“Okay we’re waiting for somebody big to come along, but we should be proud of what we’ve achieved.”
One stroke behind are another Scot Alastair Forsyth, who last week in Estonia qualified for the World Cup with David Drysdale, English pair Simon Dyson and
Ross McGowan and Finland’s Mikko Ilonen, like Hoey a former British amateur champion.
Ryder Cup trio Oliver Wilson, Clarke and McGinley are all at eight under and Luke Donald only one further back.
That promised to be even better when, playing with ex-footballer Jamie Redknapp, he covered the first 14 holes at St Andrews in eight under. Then came bogeys at the 15th and 17th, but he did birdie the last to match McIlroy’s 65.
Bjorn dropped all the way back to 20th on six under, but is still two ahead of Lee Westwood and Harrington.
The crowd that followed Colin Montgomerie also saw a three on the Road Hole. Not from the Ryder Cup captain - he double-bogeyed it and on one over is in severe danger of missing the 54-hole cut - but from his amateur partner Tim Henman.
The former Wimbledon semi-finalist is now a scratch-handicapper at Sunningdale and he and Montgomerie are 13-under-par in the team event.
That, though, puts him only joint 43rd - and only the top 20 pairs go through to Sunday’s final round on the Old Course.
Australia’s former Test captain Steve Waugh, playing off a nine-handicap with compatriot Scott Strange, leads at 21 under and had five gross birdies himself in their staggering better-ball 58 at Kingsbarns.
The remarkable one-legged golfer Manuel De Los Santos is still on course to make the cut with England’s Richard Bland.
After a 66 at Kingsbarns they went three better at Carnoustie to be in a tie for 13th on 15 under.
