Rory McIlroy was relishing being right in the mix against a world-class field heading into the weekend at the Genesis Scottish Open.
The defending champion followed an opening 65 with a 66 at The Renaissance Club to sit three shots behind midway leader Ludvig Åberg as part of a high-class chasing pack gathered for the second Rolex Series event of the season.
Ryder Cup stars Alex Noren and Collin Morikawa were also in the top ten, with home favourite Robert MacIntyre - a recent winner on the PGA TOUR - just four shots off the lead.
McIlroy has had three weeks off since dropping three shots in his last four holes to finish second at the U.S. Open and was delighted to be back in the heat of battle.
"It's a great leaderboard," he said. "Collin is up there. Sahith (Theegala) is up there.
"Bob has played pretty solid the first couple of days. Obviously a home interest to root for for everyone here.
"It's another weekend where I'm right in the mix of a golf tournament and that's a nice position to be in after the last three weeks that I've had."
McIlroy was moving up the leaderboard as he left himself seven feet at the first, made a two-putt gain at the par-five third and drove the short par-four fifth to set up another birdie.
A second gain on a par five came at the tenth but he bogeyed the next and while he hit an excellent approach to birdie the 13th, he was left to rue missed chances coming in.
"I felt like I left a few out there," he said. "Had some good chances coming down the last few holes and missed a little one on 16 and had a good chance on 17 there that just slipped by.
"It's two solid scores to open the tournament and obviously right into the mix going into the weekend.
"I wasn't totally on with my swing so I had to manage my misses a little bit but I thought did I a good job of hanging in there even though I didn't feel at my best, especially over those last few holes.
"I'll have to get off to a good start tomorrow just like I got off to a good start today. There's a few opportunities in that first six holes so I think that's pretty important and from there, see where I am.
"If I can keep playing the way I'm playing and limit the mistakes, I definitely feel like there's a lower one in me. I saw a 62 and 63 out there today.
"If we continue to get conditions like this, I think that's what it's going to take to be right up there around the lead going into Sunday."
