Andrew Oldcorn ominously moved into contention during round two of the £45,000 Northern Open and then revealed how he has rediscovered his passion for the game on the Tartan Tour.
The 2001 PGA champion posted a two-under-par 70 at Spey Valley in Aviemore for a three-under aggregate of 141 to finish three strokes behind halfway leader, Chris Doak.
Oldcorn played full-time on the domestic circuit back in 1991 as he battled back from ME and, having lost his European Tour card last season, the 48-year-old from Edinburgh is once again competing on home soil as he builds towards the next chapter of his career.
"I'm looking towards the Seniors Tour now and this is a way of staying sharp," said Oldcorn, who won the Tartan Tour's order of merit back in '91.
"I didn't enjoy the last couple of seasons on the main tour. I lost some of my desire, my form suffered and it became very hard to be competitive.
"Playing back in Scotland is nice and it's much more relaxed. I'm not bothered about travelling around the globe playing golf now and I'm enjoying this."
Frontrunner Doak, the 2005 Northern Open winner, recovered from a triple-bogey at the 11th to card a two-under 70 for a six-under 138 while Archerfield's Lee Harper, the former Scottish Boys' champion, kept himself in the thick of the title race with a tidy 69 for 139.
Jason McCreadie, a two-time winner of the Northern Open crown, added another 70 to lurk menacingly on 140 while Greig Hutcheon, the Tartan Tour's No.1 for the past two years, posted a 70 for 142. Defending champion Murray Urquhart tumbled out of the running with a damaging 77 for 148.
Former Scottish PGA champion Craig Ronald of Carluke notched the second hole-in-one of the event when he aced the fourth with a four-iron on his way to a 71 for 145.