Lyle lochs on to Jacobson's tailcoats

Mark Garrod

But if you think that means they are unknowns, think again. Sweden’s Fredrik Jacobson, five times a runner-up without ever winning, leads by four shots.

But the player chasing him hardest is former Open and Masters champion Sandy Lyle and if that does not bring the crowds to the bonnie, bonnie banks over the weekend then nothing bar the sudden arrival of Tiger Woods can do it. Lyle has not been in the final group of a tournament in Europe since the 1992 Volvo Masters - the last time he won anywhere in the world.

The 44-year-old Scot, who admits the sport which made him rich and famous nearly drove him to despair, took his lofty position on the day other big names like Nick Faldo, Lee Westwood, Jose Maria Olazabal and Bernhard Langer all failed to qualify for the final two rounds - and as Colin Montgomerie and Darren Clarke waited seven hours before discovering they were still alive in the £2.2m tournament.

‘‘I definitely feel the bad golf is behind me,’’ said a delighted Lyle after a 68 which included holing a 135-yard nine-iron for an eagle two at the 12th.

‘‘I don’t want to see it again. I want to go and bury it in the loch. The game of golf was eating me up and it tests your ability to keep going. It’s not been fun, I can tell you. I had years and years of sheer grind, but I always felt there was light at the end of the tunnel.’’ Now he is gunning for victory. But Jacobson is equally determined.

The 27-year-old arrived having missed his last four halfway cuts and with his sister Therese having had more success lately as David Carter’s caddie. But superb rounds of 66 and 65 swept him clear of the field on the 11 under par mark of 131.

Unless he self-destructs Jacobson should now earn one of the 15 spots in next week’s Open championship at Muirfield. But what he wants more than anything, of course, is a title to his name.

He lost by one to Peter Mitchell in Madeira in 1997, to Westwood in a play-off in Belgium the following season, Westwood again by three in the 2000 European Grand Prix, compatriot Patrik Sjoland by two at the Irish Open a week later and then Bernhard Langer by one at last year’s German Masters. The Ballybunion near-miss hurt most. He was one ahead with two to play, but bogeyed them both.

The ice hockey fan - three years ago he broke a thumb playing in a match between golf professionals and tennis professionals - said: ‘‘At that stage I was as close as anybody to winning and when I didn’t it hit me quite hard.” and last week was the first time in six or seven weeks that I have actually enjoyed playing.’’ Jacobson had five successive birdies from the fifth to turn in 31 and after a bogey at the 12th finished with two more in the last four holes.

First round leader Justin Rose remained six under with a 71 - he bogeyed two of the last three holes - and was lying joint third with fellow Englishman Miles Tunnicliff and two more Swedes, Carl Pettersson and Richard Johnson, as the second round neared its conclusion.

Montgomerie and Clarke had finished on one over by lunchtime, but their survival right on the limit was not determined until 8pm. Ernie Els would have been alongside them but for a closing birdie - Montgomerie also made three on the 430-yard hole - but he shared the Scot’s gloom about the state of his game.