Duo ensure Colin Montgomerie is not only Scot in spotlight

While English duo Gary Boyd and David Lynn are sharing the lead along with Frenchman Julien Gerrier on nine-under-par, the close presence of both Stephen Gallacher and Marc Warren will prove a welcome sight to spectators heading for the picturesque Perthshire venue today.

Gallacher, Scottish golf's man of the moment - discounting the Ryder Cup captain, of course - is just two shots off the pace as he chases the victory that would cap a career-best run of form, while Warren, the winner of this event in 2007, is also in the hunt to regain the title, sitting in a group a further shot behind the co-leaders.

Warren, in particular, is delighted to be heading into the weekend with his name up on the leaderboard and admits it would be a mouth-watering prospect if him and Gallacher found themselves trading blows coming down the final stretch in a bid to land a 233,330 top prize tomorrow.

"I think that would be great," said the 29-year-old Glaswegian after signing for a second-round 70 that contained three birdies in four holes on his front nine. "I'd certainly accept that challenge and I'm sure he would as well. Stevie is playing great and showing how good a player he is. But there's a long way to go and there are also still a lot of other good players up on that leaderboard as well."

One of Warren's main targets in the final two rounds will be to try and earn a big enough cheque to secure his card for next season. A World Cup winner with Colin Montgomerie three years ago, he is currently languishing in 147th position on the European Tour Order of Merit, but believes his game is moving in the right direction since he started working with Pete Cowen, who also coaches two of this year's major winners, Graeme McDowell and Louis Oosthuizen.

"I struck the ball great again today, giving myself lots of chances," added Warren.

"It's the best I've probably felt for a couple of years. I'm getting excited about the shots I'm hitting and it's nice to see my name up on the leaderboard again. Overall, I'm really pleased and all I need is to get the putter warmed up a bit over the weekend."

For the on-form Gallacher, who shot the same second-round score as his fellow Scot in the other half of the draw, it was the long stick that was causing slight concern, although the 35-year-old was confident a session on the range with his coach, Bob Torrance, would solve a minor timing issue.

"It was a game of two halves from yesterday to today," said the 2004 Dunhill Links champion, who would not only become a Euro millionaire this season with a win here but also edge close to the top 60 in the world rankings. "I played lovely yesterday but was terrible today. I drove it really badly and was in the cabbage more than I was on the fairway most of the day. But my short game was phenomenal and, thanks to that, I was able to turn a 75 into a 70."

On a day when fog forced a short suspension of play in the morning, Guerrier, a 25-year-old rookie from La Rochelle, carded a five-under 67, one better than playing partner Boyd and Lynn, too, as the trio opened up a two-shot lead over Gallacher, South African George Coetzee (68) and another Englishman, Mark Foster (67).

Boyd, a 23-year-old from Banbury who lost to Ryder Cup hopeful Peter Hanson in a play-off at the Czech Open last Sunday, comes from the same management stable as Ian Poulter and shares his penchant for wearing colourful clothing. Asked what advice he'd received from his compatriot, Boyd said: "He's told me to stay patient as every week you are out here you learn something."

Swede Peter Hedblom, the defending champion, is in the mix again on five-under, sitting alongside Ross Fisher, who had the course record of 63 in his sights after he was eight-under for his first 11 holes before four dropped shots in a row left the Ryder Cup newcomer having to settle for a 67. Dane Soren Hansen shaved two shots off that effort with an eight-birdie round that also left him just four shots off the lead.

In addition to Gallacher and Warren, only two other Scots from a starting line up of 24 - Sam Torrance withdrew before the second round due to a neck injury - survived the halfway cut, which fell at one-under. Steven O'Hara, who can also spare himself a visit to the Tour School later in the year with a good finish here, is lying just outside the top 20 after a second successive 70, while Paul Lawrie is sitting in a group on two-under.