Padraig Harrington stumbled just as he had The Belfry course record in his sights today but managed to keep the early second round lead at the Benson & Hedges International Open.
Five birdies and an eagle took the Dubliner to 11 under par and into a four-stroke but then came a double bogey six at the 428-yard eighth, his 17th, and had to be content with a 68 going into lunch only two in front of defending champion Angel Cabrera.
In the 2000 event, Harrington produced a 64 in the third round to charge into a five-shot advantage, but he was then disqualified when it was discovered he had not signed his first round scorecard.
He accepted the punishment in exemplary fashion but has since expressed his annoyance that the course record was scrubbed out because technically he should not have been playing that day.
Harrington started the day one shot behind England's David Dixon overnight lead of six under, the European Tour rookie still has to take to the course.
Harrington went to the turn in 33 and then eagled the 538-yard third for the second day in a row. But the eighth really took the edge off his day's work. He had hooked his drive into the lake twice in practice on Wednesday and did it again.
In Cabrera's case, the Argentine covered the back nine in 32 with four successive birdies from the 14th, but the outward half was a different story - five pars and then a bogey.
Colin Montgomerie also went to the turn in 32, birdied the third and fifth, but the Scot, runner-up in Italy last week after a miserable run in America, bogeyed the next two to slide back to four under. The misery didn't end there, last year's Ryder Cup hero signed-off with a double bogey at the last for a 70 to be just two-under.
Definitely heading out was 2000 winner Jose Maria Olazabal, who benefitted from Harrington's disqualification that year, crashed to 11 over after double bogeys at the 13th, 18th and sixth and no fewer than five sixes on his card.
Gary Murphy was the second Irishman to take to the course but after today's 73, to finish three over, the Kilkenny man will not be around for the weekend. Peter Lawrie on the other hand was battling at one over with three holes to play and still in with a chance of making the cut.
The remaining Irish quartet were all at an early stage of their rounds. Paul McGinley parred both his opening holes to stay at one over, Graeme McDowell was also level for the day after four holes but needs to improve from three over.
Darren Clarke, one of yesterday's surprise disappointments with a 77, picked up a birdie at the first in his bid to redeem a dire situation. Ronan Rafferty is due to start at 2.05 p.m. after his opening 75.