American Steve Marino set the early clubhouse target in the second round of The Open Championship as a previously defenceless Turnberry exacted a measure of revenge on the world's best players.
Marino began the day three off the lead held by Spain's Miguel Angel Jiménez, the 45 year old having equalled the lowest first round in Open history with his 64.
But, as Jiménez and many others failed to cope with a strong wind on the Ayrshire links, Open debutant Marino carded a second round of 68 for a five under par halfway total of 135.
That was one behind Japan's Kenichi Kuboya, who finished his first round shortly before 9pm last night with a run of birdie-birdie-eagle and promptly birdied the first, but looked likely to be a good target for the rest to chase.
Marino was originally third reserve for The Championship and only received a call-up on Sunday, but shrugged off his inexperience of links golf with four bogeys, four birdies and an eagle.
At the time Marino finished, only a handful of players were under par for their rounds, and overnight leader Jiménez was one of those faring much worse than that.
The Spaniard dropped four shots in five holes from the second and found yet more trouble on the par three sixth, a daunting 231 yard hole played into the wind, with his tee shot landing in an awkward spot in a greenside bunker.
With one leg in the bunker and one perched precariously outside it on the steep bank, Jiménez almost missed the ball entirely and moved it only a matter of inches, leading to another bogey in five holes.
After finally hitting his first green in regulation on the eighth, Jiménez rolled in his first birdie of the day before promptly dropping another shot on the ninth to be out in 39.
That was at least three shots better than 2003 winner Ben Curtis managed, the American briefly reaching six under with a birdie on the first but then dropping eight shots in the next eight holes.
Playing partner Mike Weir also took 42 to reach the turn, most of the damage done by an eight on the par five seventh, which had been the easiest hole on the course on day one.
Marino admitted this week was his first experience of links golf, the 29 year old from Oklahoma making the most of it by holing out from 116 yards for birdie on the third and also holing a bunker shot on the sixth.
"I'm just really looking forward to playing golf here the next few days," said Marino, who once recorded a round of 59 on the Gateway Tour in America.
"I've really enjoyed myself here, I love the golf course. I love the challenge that it presents. You have to drive it straight, and most importantly, you have to stay patient and stay positive out there, because once you start getting down on yourself and thinking negatively, it will go bad real quick.
"I've played four links rounds ever, two practise rounds and then the first two rounds. They have links courses in the States, but I wouldn't really call them links; it's not like it is over here. But it's awesome, I'm really just enjoying it and having fun. I'm just having a blast."
England's Ross Fisher, ready to pull out of the tournament at any time as his wife Jo is expecting their first child, also returned a 68 to finish three under par.
Marino's score was looking as tough to beat as expected, with several players sharing the lead at various points before quickly dropping back.
As Tiger Woods began his second round with two pars to remain one over, Kuboya and Stricker fell back to three under and Watson all the way to one under with five bogeys in six holes.
Former champion Mark Calcavecchia was Marino's nearest challenger on four under, the 1989 winner going out in 36 and picking up birdies on the tenth and 12th.
Calcavecchia grabbed a share of the lead with a birdie on the 14th, courtesy of a fortunate bounce off a bank, but bogeyed the next and eventually signed for a 69.
At four under par he was one behind Marino, whose chances of leading at the end of the day were looking increasingly good.
