Senior Open: Russell gets bedded in

The 56-year-old, who lives in North Berwick, finally landed his first over-50s title with a victory in the De Vere Collection PGA Seniors' Championship at Slaley Hall last month.

He then went out in the first round of his next event, the Bad Ragaz Open in Switzerland, and shot a 65. But his hopes of winning there were dashed after he suffered a knee injury when his bed collapsed in the middle of the night.

"I whacked my knee on the floor and I have struggled a bit since then," admitted Russell.

Due to the way he's now walking to compensate for the knee problem, the Englishman has been having back spasms.

But, trouble free yesterday, he shot a four-under-par 67 at Carnoustie to catapult himself into a tie for 11th at the halfway stage in the Senior Open Championship. "I didn't really put a foot wrong," he said after signing for a score that put him level-par for the tournament, just four shots behind joint-leaders Bernhard Langer and Corey Pavin.

"I got off to a nice start, holing from about 25 foot at the first for a birdie. I then holed from six feet at the third and 20 feet at the eighth," said Russell. "I also played really solid on the back nine, birdieing the 13th and 14th, where I was on in 2. I had a good chance at 15th and then chipped and putted at the 16th.

"At the 17th (his only dropped shot of the day] I hit a good tee shot but got a bit ahead of myself on the second shot and put it in a bunker.

"There was no chance of getting the distance I needed out of there.

"At the 18th I hit a really good tee shot but it kicked into the rough and I couldn't put the club under the ball.

"Even though I would only have been hitting a 6-iron it was a bit dangerous to go for it but I managed to make a nice up and down from short of the burn. I'm absolutely ecstatic to break 70 for the first time round this course, which is certainly the best test in Scotland."

Admitting he was heading straight off to get some physiotheraphy for his back, he added: "The win at Slaley Hall was great and if I can keep playing like this I'd be delighted.

"I've missed the cut the last three times in this event after being in the top 20 in my first two appearances. I know I can compete at this level but tournaments like these can be out of the comfort level for someone like me. If I can go out tomorrow and shoot another 67, I might be able to put myself in contention."

Former Musselburgh professional Fraser Mann was just as pleased after he added a 74 to his opening 72 to make the cut with three shots to spare on four-over.

"I played very nicely," he said. "I bogeyed the second and fourth, both with three putts, then missed the green at the eighth to drop another one there. However, I made a good birdie at the ninth, holing a 20 footer. I felt I wasn't playing badly but not getting any breaks and that was turning point. I made a good 4 at ten, three-putted from edge of 12th, got up and down from a bunker at 13th then made a good two putt at 17th from front of the green."

Born and bred in Carnoustie before moving to Musselburgh, Mann added: "It is nice to play well and make the cut with all my family - my wife, my mum and my brother - watching. This is the biggest tournament I've played in and to have it in your home town is fantastic.

"There was quite a bit pressure on me out there but in the next two rounds I can go out and be a bit bolder."

Andrew Oldcorn, lying sixth on the European Senior Tour Order of Merit, missed the cut by a single shot after a second successive 75 in the company of Americans Tom Lehman and Fred Funk.