Darren Clarke, no stranger to playing well in bad weather, did it again at Loch Lomond and stood four clear of the field after a superb second round 67 in The Barclays Scottish Open.
Clarke, one ahead overnight, three-putted the short 11th - his second of the day - but birdied two of the next five holes and then in pouring rain picked up three more shots at the start of the front nine.
They took the 40 year old to ten under par and kept him on course not only for a first victory in two years, but also for a place in next week's Open Championship at St Andrews.
It was in similar conditions, of course, that he produced his heroics in the 2006 Ryder Cup only a month after his wife Heather had died of breast cancer.
Welshman Bradley Dredge and Swede Peter Hedblom were in the clubhouse on six under and they were joined in second place when Italian Edoardo Molinari, whose brother Francesco was also going well, birdied the fourth hole of his second round.
Clarke said of his round: "That was more satisfying than yesterday because it was tougher.
"We were all surprised that there was no placing and the course was playing brutally long. It was one of those days where you've got to take what the course was giving you and grind out a score.
"It's two rounds now and I've consolidated my position. I'm going into the weekend probably a little bit nervous, but excited at the same time."
