Denmark's Thomas Bjorn stamped his class on the French Open today with six birdies in the first 12 holes of his second round.
Beaten by Padraig Harrington in a play-off for the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open in Hamburg last month, Bjorn was back at the head of things three weeks after cutting his hand peeling fruit.
The 32-year-old Ryder Cup star reached the turn in 31 and when he picked up another shot at the long third - his 12th - he was eight under par and two ahead of Scotland's Stephen Gallacher, Spaniard Miguel Angel Martin and the three overnight leaders Philip Golding, Nicolas Colsaerts and French amateur Eric Chaudouet.
One of Bjorn's birdies had an element of good fortune about it, however. His second to the island green at the long 18th was pulled left and as he let go of the club with one hand he could not see whether it had finished on dry land.
It came as a relief therefore to discover that the ball, having kicked down a bank, had stopped two feet short of the water. And he took advantage of his good fortune by chipping to five feet and making the putt.
Gallacher, nephew of former Ryder Cup captain Bernard, has finished seventh and fifth on his last two starts and after turning in 36 he birdied the 10th and 11th to go joint second.
Martin won the title in 1992, but is better remembered as the man who qualified for the 1997 Ryder Cup team, but was asked to stand down because of injury and became embroiled in a furious row with captain Seve Ballesteros that continued right up to the match.
Jose Maria Olazabal, who took the title two years ago, was in the hunt again at five under thanks to birdies at the 15th, 18th and first, while Londoner Brian Davis slipped back from six under to four.