Lyle rolls back the years

Lyle is second on the leaderboard

Colin Moffat BBC Sport Online at Loch Lomond

Sandy Lyle continued to roll back the years in the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond and heads the home contingent after a battling round of 68.

Jacobson sets the pace

At seven under par, the former Open champion sat second on the leaderboard, four shots behind Fredrik Jacobson.

Lyle, who finished sixth at the recent English Open and has been showing signs of recovering his 1980s form, reached the turn in level par but got things going with a birdie at the tenth.

To come away with three under on a kind of off-day is promising

Sandy Lyle

That was followed by an eagle two at the 12th, where he holed a nine iron from 135 yards.

A dropped shot at the 16th was immediately rectified with a birdie at the par three 17th.

"It was bit of grind out there," admitted Lyle.

"I wasn't swinging as fluently as Thursday, but the putter was performing well again."

Photo Gallery: See second round in pictures

Lyle, who last featured in the final group in the last round of a European tournament in 1992, said he was looking forward to Saturday and Sunday.

"To come away with three under on a kind of off-day is promising," he said.

"I'm not going to go out there and try and protect what I've got. I'm going to try and keep up with the young ones."

Glasgow amateur Barry Hume consolidated his fine opening round with another good display and put several of his professional countrymen to shame.

Barry Hume went round in 70

The 20-year-old Scottish champion managed a steady round of 70 to leave him standing on the five-under-par mark at the halfway stage and ahead of many big name players.

Colin Montgomerie once again found it hard to get going but toughed it out for a level-par 71 with a birdie at the last.

Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance stormed off the final green after a double bogey six had undone much of his earlier good work.

Slammin' Sam had reached four under par with a birdie at the 15th but threw away a shot at the next before making a mess of the last.

Torrance's playing partner Gary Orr, fared better on day two with five consecutive birdies from the fifth helping him to a 67 and a two-under-par total.

Andrew Coltart's 70 could not make amends for a poor opening round and, on three over par, he will not be here over the weekend.

Torrance stormed off the final green

Raymond Russell dropped four shots over the closing two holes to miss the cut in miserable style.

Cruising comfortably at one under par, the Scot, without a top 30 finish this season, made a bogey at the short 17th and followed up with a disastrous seven at the last.

Gordon Brand Junior survived the cut despite a scrappy 74 that brought him back to a level-par 142.

Brand's playing partner, Ross Drummond, managed a better round by one but will rue a terrible closing run that saw four strokes disappear over the last three holes to leave him on six over par.

Clockwatch: Scottish Open

Other locals who will not be returning to the bonnie banks on Saturday include Murray Urquhart on 151 and Craig Lee on 153.

Alastair Forsyth, playing with Nick Faldo and Angel Cabrera - who both failed to make the cut, produced a gutsy display to grind out a 70 and finish level par.

Paul Lawrie, 1999 Open winner, is also level, having thrown away two strokes over the closing three holes.

Stephen Gallacher, who is attached to the Loch Lomond club, did not appear to have local knowledge on his side and limped home in 79 and 12 over par.