Rory McIlroy's luck changed for the better in the early stages of his second round at The 141st Open Championship at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
McIlroy complained of "an unfortunate break" during his opening 67, running up a double bogey on the 15th when his drive bounced off a young spectator's head and went out of bounds.
The former US Open Champion joked: "He could have headed it the other way!", after checking that Bristol teenager Jason Blue was unharmed and giving him a signed glove, but he could have few complaints about the slices of luck he was enjoying on day two.
After a regulation par on the first, McIlroy pushed his drive on the second and was fortunate that it stopped a few feet short of the thickest rough, allowing him to pitch out short of the green and save par.
Another pushed drive on the third was similarly fortunate, but that was nothing compared to the luck McIlroy enjoyed next, hooking his approach well left of the green but seeing the ball creep onto the fourth tee as Japan's Toshinori Muto in the group ahead heard the cries of 'fore' and took evasive action.
A few inches to the right and the ball could easily have been unplayable, but the 23 year old Ulsterman did not make the most of his reprieve, pitching to ten feet but missing the par putt.
At two under McIlroy was now four off the lead held by Australian Adam Scott, who was among the afternoon starters, while Belgium's Nicolas Colsaerts was three under after dropping two shots in his first three holes.
Healthy crowds were lining the course despite tournament officials hoping many spectators would delay their arrivals after heavy rain overnight left standing water on parts of the course.
Play got under way at 6:30am as scheduled, but fans were directed to different entrance gates as work was carried out to improve conditions. Several parts of the course were roped off, with the area between the second and fourth greens particularly badly affected.
A message on Opengolf.com stated that the course, and car parks, are drying out but spectators will have a better experience if they can turn up later if possible.
"We've had far more rain overnight than we were expecting, unfortunately," R&A chief executive Peter Dawson said.
"There's been 11mm or so but the course can take it as the drainage here is good. There is some standing water but we can play golf and the rules of golf will deal with the casual water.
"The spectator conditions are not so good but we are working hard. We are told it will be dry for the rest of the day but, if anyone was thinking about delaying their arrival, that would be good."
McIlroy bounced back with a birdie on the fourth from 12 feet, but dropped a shot on the sixth after finding a greenside bunker with his approach and failing to get up and down.
There was worse news for Colsaerts however, the Volvo World Match Play champion running up a triple-bogey eight on the seventh after fluffing a pitch into heavy rough and failing to move the ball with his first attempt.
American Rickie Fowler was also having an adventurous day with no pars in the first five holes, The Ryder Cup star's figures reading bogey, birdie, triple-bogey, birdie, birdie to lie two over.
His compatriot Brandt Snedeker had birdied the first to move into joint second on five under, while World Number One Luke Donald had recovered from a bogey on the third with a hat-trick of birdies to improve to two under.
