Paul Lawrie, grinning "like a Cheshire cat" about sealing his Ryder Cup place, had even more to smile about as he took the early second round lead in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles.
The 43 year old Scot will earn his second cap for Europe next month 13 years after his debut in Boston.
"I don't think you can underestimate how much The Ryder Cup kind of plays on players' minds," said Lawrie after his opening 68.
On his return to the course that will stage the 2014 match he birdied two of his first four holes - actually the 11th and 14th - to move to six under par.
He was one ahead of Australian Brett Rumford, alone in second place after joint overnight leader Knut Borsheim bogeyed the 463 yard 15th.
Lawrie was playing again with Francesco Molinari, the other player in the field certain to be up against the Americans in Chicago, and the Italian remained four under and well in the hunt himself for a title won by his brother Edoardo - currently recovering from wrist surgery - two years ago.
Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, who needs a top two finish to earn a Cup debut and push Martin Kaymer out of an automatic spot, was among the later starters. He was in a tie for eighth following his first round 69.
Lawrie remained six under after six holes and Rumford's birdie at the long 18th - his eighth - brought him level.
England's Mark Foster, who lost in a five-man play-off last year after bogeying the par five last, was one behind and then came a group on four under which included 49 year old Colin Montgomerie.
The tournament chairman, whose last win was over five years ago and now ranks 510th in the world, resumed with a birdie and then had three more in a row from the 14th.
Alongside him were Molinari, Dane Thorbjørn Olesen and Spaniard Rafael Cabrera-Bello, who by winning on Sunday could miss out on a Ryder Cup spot by less than two world ranking points - and all because Peter Hanson withdrew from the event on Monday.
