A solid rather than spectacular start was good enough to keep Branden Grace top of the leaderboard midway through the second round of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
The South African Branden Grace opened with a European Tour record-equalling 60 over Kingsbarns, and after switching to St Andrews played the first six holes at the Home of Golf in level par.
Spaniard Pablo Martin made the most sparkling start, five successive birdies on Carnoustie's inward half to move into a tie for second place two behind Grace, but then came a double bogey at the 15th and a bogey on the 17th.
Instead it was Swedish trio Joel Sjöholm, Fredrik Andersson Hed and Magnus Carlsson, Dane Thorbjørn Olesen and South African Anton Haig who were Grace's closest challengers.
Grace birdied four in a row from the seventh and that run sent him clear as the rest struggled to keep pace.
Sjöholm, also playing at St Andrews, completed a 67 to be four behind on 12 under, with Olesen and Haig a stroke further back.
