Mark Wiebe carded a superb second-round 65 to earn a share of the halfway lead with Bernhard Langer in the Senior Open at Royal Birkdale.
The 55-year-old American started the day at level par but picked up six birdies in his round, including four on the back nine of the Southport course, to leap to the top of the leaderboard at five under alongside Langer.
The German posted a score of 67 on the day to move to five under par, and would have held the outright lead had it not been for a double bogey on the sixth.
He told europeantour.com: "I played like the weather today [Friday], pretty good.
"I just had one little blemish with a double bogey where I missed the green and double hit my chip shot. Otherwise it was a really good round.
"I hit a lot of good shots and putted much better today. [Friday] So I'm very pleased with the position I'm in at the halfway point."
Wiebe, meanwhile, was understandably delighted with his day's work, he said: "There's a long way to go, but I'm tickled to be where I am.
"Last year I tied for sixth at Turnberry and I fell in love with the golf course. It was unbelievable. I had never played there, and I had never played here, and I have some same love affair going this week.
"It is just a real test of everything in your bag, including patience."
Langer and Wiebe are one shot clear of South Africa's David Frost while first-round leader Gene Sauers is among a group of three a shot further back on three under for the tournament.
The trio also includes Australia's Peter Fowler and Ireland's Mark McNulty.
Scotland's Sandy Lyle is at two under while America's Mark O'Meara, who won the 1998 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, is two over.
Tournament debutant Colin Montgomerie is three over after a round of 71, which included a double-bogey six at the par-four third.
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