Back-to-back eagles today moved Ireland's Paul McGinley into position to land the Stg£550,000 jackpot at the Dunhill Links championship this weekend.
McGinley sank a 146-yard eight-iron on the 464-yard fourth hole at St Andrews and followed it with a drive and five-iron to 25 feet on the 568-yard next.
The Dubliner, forced to put his Ryder Cup debut on hold for a year, finished with an eight-under-par 64 and so reached halfway in the Stg£3.5million tournament - the richest ever staged in Britain - on the 13-under-par mark of 141.
McGinley is partnering 'Sex in the City' actor Kyle MacLachlan in the pro-am team event being run concurrently on three courses, but said: "I know what is at stake here for the Order of Merit and world ranking points.
"I know how much we are playing for and what you can achieve by playing well. I don't regard it as a pro-am - it's a tournament for me."
With a round at Carnoustie still to come before the field is cut to the top 60, McGinley stands two ahead of Londoner Brian Davis and Zimbabwe's Tony Johnstone.
The Irishman's day actually began at Kingsbarns, the other course being used, because he was among the players unable to finish on Thursday due to fog.
He immediately birdied the long 16th and parred the final two holes for a 67, then took a leaf out of Tiger Woods' book from The Open last year by avoiding every single bunker on the Old Course.
"I also hit 18 greens in regulation, although I know that's not saying much at St Andrews because of the size of the greens. But the two eagles were the bonus - they turned a 68 into a 64."
Yet he did not know he had achieved the first of them for several minutes.
Despite the money on offer and the galaxy of celebrities in town, only a small crowd has so far turned out to watch the action and McGinley described the applause for his eight-iron shot at the fourth as that resembling a shot which finished 15 feet from the flag.
"I couldn't see the ball go in and had walked 70 or 80 yards when David Howell shouted over from the next tee and told me it had gone in."
PA