Scott continues to fire

With Ana Ivanovic looking on, Adam Scott continued his fine form at the Scottish Open with a second-round 67 to finish the day four shots off the pace in second.

Scott was off at 7.40am, and was almost immediately in good touch with a birdie on the par-five third hole, but then cancelled that out with a double bogey at the fifth.

But the Australian was quick to bounce back with three birdies in his next four holes to set up his second consecutive solid round after a 66 on day one.

"All areas of my life are in a good place right now," said the 28-year-old when asked if it helped to have a partner who was also a professional sports star.

Compatriot Marcus Fraser is just one stroke further back after carding a five-under par 66 while first-round leader Richard Green is at minus six after carding a 72.

Clubhouse leader Retief Goosen is not known as a comic, but he is sure he gave his playing partners a laugh at Loch Lomond by making a total mess of his opening shot.

"A low, thinny one going right - probably not even 180 yards off the tee," said Goosen of his three-wood down the 10th.

The South African was the one smiling the most at the end of the Barclays Scottish Open second round, however, after an eight-under-par 63 catapulted him from four behind into a two-stroke lead.

Goosen, now 11 under, missed out on the course record by only one stroke - as he did not need telling because he was the one to achieve it back in 1997.

"I've shot 62 around here twice, once with placing (in 2001 en route to taking the title) and once without."

"I do like it here. The golf course is fairly generous off the tee and I'm not one of the straightest hitters."

The double US Open champion, who rescued his par four on the 10th with a 30-foot putt, has a particular fondness for the 518-yard third hole now.

As on the opening day, he sank a 20-footer for eagle, making him four under there already this week.

Goosen - a winner in Asia, Africa and America in the last nine months, but not in Europe since the 2005 German Masters - has Scott as his closest challenger.

His compatriot Fraser and German Martin Kaymer, winner of the French Open on Sunday, are three behind in joint third, while Lee Westwood, the player Kaymer beat in a play-off in Paris, was much improved both in his golf as well as his health.

Westwood wished yesterday he had pulled out because of a chest infection, but after a doctor gave him anti-biotics and he slept for 15 hours he returned to knock seven strokes off his opening 73 - and said it could have been even better.

"I'm glad I played now," commented the Worksop golfer.

"I knocked the flag out all day."

At three under he was on the same mark as playing partner Rory McIlroy, who called a penalty on himself when his ball moved a fraction after he had addressed it on the eighth.

Even before that the 20-year-old Ulsterman had things go against him at the fourth. His ball finished in a hole at the base of a tree, but although he felt there was evidence of it being caused by a burrowing animal,