French Open: Eduardo Romero was ready to throw in his lot with the over-50s on the Seniors circuit after five missed cuts in six starts in Europe this year.
But this morning he is only two good rounds away from becoming the oldest winner on the European Tour, with his second French Open title.
The amiable Argentinian flew home last month to sharpen his focus - and change his diet - and yesterday came back with an astonishing 62, clipping two strokes off the course record here at Le Golf National, to take the clubhouse lead with a 10-under-par total of 132, two clear of a group that included the Frenchman Jean Van de Velde and Britain's Jonathan Lomas.
Romero, who turns 51 next month, has the Spanish nickname Gato (Cat, for his stealthy victory strikes) but the French here might have adjusted that to Gateau if he had turned up still nearly a stone overweight.
Instead, mentally refreshed and nutritionally adjusted (meat only once a week, more veg, water, fruit and cereals), he was out in 29 for the first time in his life en route to eight birdies and would have returned a 61 had a 30-footer at 18 not hit the rim and stayed out.
Afterwards he claimed yoga was the key, along with staring at a picture of a hole - not the 18th at St Andrews, just a large circular orifice - on the wall of his sitting room.
"I just spent 20, 30 minutes concentrating hard on seeing the ball go into it in my mind, and it really works," he grinningly explained.
"I didn't do the yoga for three months but going back to it gave me a much more positive mental attitude. Although my wife and family wanted me to stay home and play Seniors golf I told them I was going back to Europe where I enjoy competing so much.
"I wanted to go home before last month's BMW event but my caddie talked me into staying on. I did well until I took seven at the last and missed another cut. That was it.
"Putting on six kilos in weight didn't help but I've gone on [ the] diet . . . and it's come off again. I had to play 27 holes today after the overnight suspension and I felt great despite the heat."
He may need to play Monday's 36-hole British Open Championship pre-qualifying test at Sunningdale but first or second place in France would earn him one of two automatic berths at St Andrews next month via the seven-weeks mini-money list.
"I qualified at Sunningdale with Colin Montgomerie last year and it was very, very hard - it would be great to miss it this time," he admitted.
Romero's caddie, Rudolfo Rodriguez, on his 43rd birthday, demanded his boss give him something special. The moustachioed man from Cordoba presented him at once with three birdies, going within six inches of a hole in one. At his first par-five Romero chipped in from a bunker from 25 yards, then holed from 20 feet and 15 feet for his 29 out.
The round, which also equalled his lowest-ever score in 352 events on the circuit, took Romero onto the 10-under-par halfway total of 132 and into a two-stroke lead over Jean Van de Velde, Jonathan Lomas and Soren Hansen.
Paul McGinley is the best of the Irish, on 141 after a 71, followed by Peter Lawrie, 142, Gary Murphy, 143, and Stephen Browne on 144. Philip Walton and Damien McGrane missed the cut.
