Bernhard Langer ominously moved into position for his second Senior Open title despite a slice of rotten luck and Sandy Lyle kept the saltire flying going into the weekend at sun-drenched Royal Birkdale.
A double hit by the German, winner of the title at Carnoustie in 2010, cost him a double bogey but the double Masters winner still compiled a 67 to take a one-shot lead at halfway in front of the championship’s biggest-ever crowd.
Langer at five-under is tied at the top with the USA’s Mark Wiebe, who shot a late best-of-the-week 65, and the duo lie two ahead of South Africa’s David Frost, himself just two in front of Lyle.
Langer called the double hit on himself immediately as he tried to play a little chip with a lob wedge out of rough at greenside on the sixth, catching the ball a second time on his follow through.
“It’s one of those things that happens, never a nice feeling but it can happen out here in links golf among the long grass. It was a little unlucky but you just put it behind you and get on with it,” he said.
Langer certainly did, getting the two shots back with birdies at the eighth and 13th, and then capitalising on both the par fives late on, moving almost effortlessly into the lead.
“Apart from the double it was really good golf all day,” he said.
“I certainly like my position at halfway and especially because I’ve played some pretty good golf over the first two days.
“My putting wasn’t quite there the first day but it was much better today, and I’m looking forward to the next two days.”
Lyle, playing in the same group as the German, described his old European team-mate’s mishap as “really unlucky” but a 68, with two birdies on the long 15th and 17th, was reward for as consistent a performance he’s returned in some time.
“I’ll certainly take two-under at halfway, I’m in a nice spot,” he said.
“I only hit one real skanky shot all day, blocked a three-wood miles right on six into uncharted territory and was lucky the spotter not only found it but stood on it, so I got a drop.”
Lyle escaped from that with a bogey five when it could have been worse, and played steady three-under golf the rest of the way.
“I’m well placed but you’re dubious about taking anything for granted because this course can bite back on you,” he said.
“But it’s nice to be in a good position for the weekend.”
Frost shot a second successive 68 with his putter saving the round while Mark McNulty, now playing out of Ireland rather than his native Zimbabwe, matched Langer’s 67 to move up to into a share of fourth.
Wiebe, playing late in the day, took advantage of kinder conditions as the wind dropped to birdie four of the last six holes, shoot a 65 and join Langer in the lead.
Meanwhile, Mark O’Meara played himself back into the tournament after his return to the scene of his 1998 Open triumph was badly marred in the first round when a shot out of the rough went straight left and struck a female spectator full in the face.
Shaken by the incident and concerned for the injured woman, who was taken to hospital, O’Meara bogeyed the next three holes and did well in the end to put together a 74 with his mind clearly elsewhere.
On Friday, re-assured that the lady was making a full recovery, he fought back with a 68 to lie just a few off the lead at halfway.
“Nobody likes or intends something like to happen. It makes you stick to your stomach, but it happens in golf. I’ve been wounded a few times myself,” he said.
“I was just happy to find out she was OK, and I’m going to take her a Masters flag I travel with and sign it for her. She’s not the first person I’ve hit. I’ve been doing this for 33 years and I know I’m not that good.
“I got smoked once myself, in Houston when I went to meet my wife. We were playing golf when I was hit right on the forehead on the fly and just took me out.
“It split my forehead wide open but I was OK because luckily that’s the hardest part of your skull. And it knocked enough common sense in to me that I ended up marrying the girl I came to meet!”
O’Meara was just happy to put himself back into the tournament at two-over, and look to the weekend.
“I just sort of hung in there, and if I play well tomorrow, I’ll have a chance on Sunday.”
Colin Montgomerie is also there for the weekend, but a 5-5 finish sorely tested his new-found relaxed regime and it came up wanting. The Scot declined to share his thoughts with the media when he came off at the end of a one-over 73, lying back in a tie for 26th place.
Still, the friendly spirit of the Seniors can’t be soured by Monty’s moods. As an example, second place David Frost took pity on the hapless Pole Jan Lubieniecki, who shot a 19-over 89 on the first day, and gave him a few tips on the range.
Jan thought they helped, but only to the tune of six shots fewer on the second day, an 83 consigning him to a whopping 32-over par at the finish.