Ross Fisher will head into the third round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship with a one-shot lead after producing a four-under-par 68 on Friday.
The five-time European Tour winner carded seven birdies and three bogeys at St Andrews to move to 11 under par, one stroke clear of Sweden's Joakim Lagergren.
Lagergren's countryman Alex Noren was another shot back on nine under after a mixed round at Kingsbarns saw him post a 71 on Friday.
Fisher began his second round a single shot behind overnight leader Noren, but after notching a birdie at the second, the Englishman joined him at the summit.
The 35 year old picked up another shot at the fifth before adding back-to-back birdies at the seventh and eighth to open up a two-shot lead.
A three-putt at the 11th saw Fisher drop his first shot of the day but he bounced back immediately, rolling in his birdie putt at the 12th to restore his two-stroke advantage.
Another bogey followed at the 13th but he responded with a birdie once again, holing his ten-foot putt at the 14th to return to 11 under.
After sending his approach to within inches of the hole at the 16th, Fisher tapped in his birdie putt to get to 12 under.
But a bogey at the next and a par at the last saw Fisher head into the weekend on 11 under.
Fisher was thrilled with his score on Friday. He said: "To shoot four under and get to 11 (under), I'm obviously very, very pleased.
"Not dropping a shot obviously yesterday at Kingsbarns was a real achievement. Seven under yesterday was a great start.
"Coming around here, St Andrews, you know the greens are going to be a little bit slower. I felt like I played really well front side. I unfortunately three-putted the tenth for par after hitting a really good drive there.
"I bogeyed 11 - obviously my first bogey of the tournament - but I bounced back. Every time I bogeyed, I bounced back.
"It would have been nice to have one on 18 after bogeying 17 but it's still tough out there. It's pretty cold."
To shoot four under and get to 11 (under), I'm obviously very, very pleased - Ross Fisher
Lagergren, starting at the tenth at Kingsbarns, reached the turn in 35 after making a birdie at the 16th.
An eagle at the third took the 24 year old to nine under and he tapped in for a birdie at the ninth - his last - to add a 68 to Thursday's 66.
Lagergren said: "I played really solid today. Unfortunately I didn't hole any putts this round.
"I wasn't close enough really, I hit a lot of greens, but I need to get a little bit closer and putt a little bit better to shoot a really low one."
Speaking about Kingsbarns, he added: "It was a little windy and a little drizzly there on the front nine. But it's pretty scorable anyway, I would say. You get a few holes downwind where you can really take advantage of it."
Noren, who led on Thursday night after posting a stunning 64 to equal the course record at Carnoustie, opened with two pars at Kingsbarns before firing his first birdie of the day at the third.
The Swede slipped back to seven under after carding a disappointing double bogey at the fifth but he did not let that affect him, holing out from 78 yards for an eagle at the next.
He dropped a shot at the 11th before reeling off birdies at the 13th, 14th and 16th to join Fisher at the top of the leaderboard.
But Noren missed his par putt at the 17th before carding a second successive bogey at the last to finish the day with a 71.
Jbe Kruger is another shot back in fourth after posting a second successive 68, with England's Tyrrell Hatton fifth on seven under.
