Darren Clarke was today hoping to recapture the form which saw him leading the US Masters after the delayed opening round in Augusta.
Clarke eventually finished an exhausting first day two shots off the pace set by Canada's Mike Weir midway through the second round.
But the Ulsterman was looking forward to tackling the famous Amen Corner on Augusta's back nine, which had earlier provided him with the platform to shoot a first-round 66.
That had been enough for a three-shot lead over the field, but by the time play was called to a halt last night after 12 hours of action, Weir had moved into the lead on six under with birdies at the second and third, his final two holes, before play was suspended.
In contrast, Clarke had finished with bogeys at the ninth and 10th to lie four under, two shots ahead of another left-hander, Phil Mickelson.
Defending champion Tiger Woods, seeking an unprecedented three straight Masters victories, had struggled to an opening 76 but picked up two shots in 10 holes of his second round to improve to two over.
Clarke said: "In the afternoon I did not play so well and unfortunately just managed to finish with two bogeys, but if you'd have said I'd be four under after 28 holes I would certainly have bitten your hand off.
"Four under is a very good score for the day. It's a very very tough golf course and overall I played very well.
"I'd like to put down some of those bogeys in the afternoon to tiredness, but I didn't particularly feel it. I've got fairly big, thick, sturdy legs that will hopefully carry me around for the next few days.
"I'm certainly very comfortable where I am at the moment and hopefully I'll go back out in the morning and recapture some of the form that I had and make a few more birdies around the back nine and get myself back to the top again." Clarke feels he is benefiting hugely from working with psychologist Bob Rotella and also committing himself to coach Butch Harmon.
He also split from long-term caddie Billy Foster earlier this year and now has Ryder Cup team-mate Paul McGinley's former caddie JP Fitzgerald on the bag. "I made quite a few changes at the start of this year and so far they're paying off," the 34-year-old added. "Doc (Rotella) has got my pre-shot routine much more consistent. I do the same thing all the time, when I used to be a bit all over the place.
"Because of that I'm much more focused on what I'm doing. He's taught me to just take a look at my target and go and hit it. That's about as much as I think about and it seems to be working great so far."
Weir has recorded just one top-10 finish in major championships but feels he is a much better player than that occasion in the USPGA in 1999, when he played in the last group in the final round with Woods.
"I'm a lot different," said Weir, who finished in a tie for 10th at Medinah as Woods battled with Sergio Garcia in a thrilling climax to the tournament. "I'm much more experienced and my game's a lot different. I think it's more well-rounded.
"Back then I was coming out of the qualifying school that year and I was in the final group of a major. I was probably a little out of my element.
"But I learned from that and hopefully I can use that somehow this week." Woods himself feels he is still in with a chance of victory despite dropping a shot on his penultimate hole last night after birdies at the 13th, 14th and 16th seemed to herald a typical charge.
"I'm right where I need to be, I have a chance in the tournament," said Woods, who famously played the first nine holes in 1997 four over par - today it was 10 holes - but went on to win with a record total of 18 under par and by a record margin of 12 shots.
"You don't have to play a great round to get back into it, on this golf course you can't rush it. In the afternoon I made a couple of putts and that's what I had to do."