Phil Mickelson broke out of one of the worst slumps of his illustrious career by shooting a blemish-free 64 at the Scottish Open on Friday, leaving the American five shots off the second-round lead shared by Alexander Noren and Francesco Molinari.
Noren's second straight round of 6 under 66 saw him move to 12 under alongside Molinari, who couldn't match his blistering 62 from Thursday but still kept the momentum going with a 70.
However, it was Mickelson's morning charge up the leaderboard that had tongues wagging at the overcast but largely wind-free Castle Stuart links.
The three-time Masters champion broke par for the first time since May to easily make the cut, firing an eagle and six birdies to put him in a strong position for the weekend.
AP