Harrington - right with the leaders (Allsport)

Colin Montgomerie, down and almost out after day one, rocketed himself back into contention for the Open with a dazzling 64.

The new course record - the Scottish links have been lengthened since Isao Aoki shot 63 in 1980 - sent Montgomerie charging past almost 100 players.

From fearing that he would be spending the weekend doing something else, the 39-year-old now has yet another chance to capture his first major crown.

And, of course, the chance to be the man to stop Tiger Woods from claiming golf's first-ever Grand Slam.

Montgomerie, who fell away after leading the first two days at Lytham last year, is now at four under par and just as important as his own score was the fact that none of the overnight leaders came anywhere near it.

With two hours' play left in the day and the potential for lots of changes at the top during that time, Montgomerie trailed South African Ernie Els and Japan's Shigeki Maruyama by two.

Still the favourite for the title, though, is that man Woods, who despite missing a host of putts returned a 68 and sits alongside Montgomerie.

Dozens of players still harbour dreams of lifting the claret jug - but Justin Rose's hopes are hanging by a thread after he slumped to a 75 and only just made the halfway cut.

At least he is still in the race. Lee Westwood, who bogeyed the last two holes, Jose Maria Olazabal, Vijay Singh and former winners Tom Lehman and Tom Watson were definitely out and Sandy Lyle, three under after the opening day, and Ian Woosnam and world number two Phil Mickelson had to wait to see if their two-over aggregates were good enough.

Among those out on the course and going really well as many of the crowd headed home were Dubliner Padraig Harrington, five under with four to play and sharing third place with fellow Irishman Des Smyth, Swede Carl Pettersson, Dane Soren Hansen and leading American Bob Tway.

Luton's Ian Poulter, runner-up to Rose in the British Masters last month, was one further back with six to go.

But the round of the day was bound to be Montgomerie's. It was his lowest-ever in the championship and it came on the back of a 74 he described simply as "awful".

He said: "Initially I thought I'd done too much damage to my chances. But now I know I can win.

"I've never been frightened of winning - ever. And I've never been frightened of winning here."

Montgomerie revealed that after snapping at a radio reporter and not pausing long for the waiting press after his first round he went to his car and, seeing a different set of clubs, decided to use them instead.

He began with a three-wood and three-iron to 20 feet and after making the putt he holed an even longer one for eagle at the 560-yard fifth.

When more birdies came at the sixth and ninth he was out in 31 - great, but bettered by two by Els later - and coming home he picked up further shots at the 15th and 18th.

"I had a great reception from the fans all day and to finish the way I did was a delight," he added. "I just want to keep going now and not let this go."

Els was there clear when he turned in 29, one outside the major record set by England's Denis Durnian at Birkdale in 1983.

"I couldn't do anything wrong," said the world numbr three, who pipped Montgomerie for both his US Open wins and after Woods is the player the Scot least wants to see ahead of him.

"You feel you could shoot a 54 and that's a scary thought, but I didn't play to the same level on the back nine."

Dropped shots at the 11th and 13th were disappointments, but his salvaging of a par for a 66 at the last after a wild drive meant he finished on a high note.

Els has been consulting Belgian sports psychologist Jos Vanstiphout again this week.

"You always need convincing you can win," he explained. "I didn't feel very good about my game at the start of the week, but I feel like a different player now."

Maruyama, playing with Woods and Rose, had his second successive 68, not bogeying all day just like Montgomerie.

It was close, but those on two over did eventually survive to play the final two rounds - and at only eight behind Mickelson, Lyle and Woosnam had to consider that they were not totally out of it yet.

Waldorf parred the last to finish six under and Tway's birdie at the 17th increased the number of joint leaders to five.