By Mark Garrod, PA Sport Golf Correspondent

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Nick Faldo has had his fair share of distractions this week.

He celebrated his 46th birthday on Friday and his third wife Valerie is sitting at home, waiting for their first child to put in an appearance some time later next week.

But put him on the first tee at an Open championship and even when he starts the third round eight over par, after surviving the cut by the narrowest of margins, the old passion comes surging to the surface.

The best golfer Britain has ever produced gave us a reminder of exactly why he has won six major titles - three US masters, three Opens - with a four-under-par 67 which was hewn straight from the glory years.

And while six birdies on a card scarred by just two bogeys may not be enough to garnish the twilight stage of his career with the ultimate prize then at least it stretched his record of rounds under 70 in majors to 35 - two ahead of Jack Nicklaus.

"This was a great round," agreed Faldo, who finished with two birdies to send huge roars echoing around the Kent shoreline.

"Yes, I haven't had the pressure because it's the classic early morning Saturday, one where you have a free run of it, just go play. So that's great. Still, finishing off was nice.

"I'm at a great stage in my career when I almost call myself semi-competitive. I'm giving it the best shot I can. Sure I'm not the same golfer as 10 years ago but occasionally I throw something in that reminds me that I can still play.

"I'm six under for 27 holes which is probably as good as anybody. That gives you a good boost."

It helped too that Faldo was playing on Saturday with 27-year-old Ian Poulter, a little healthy needle thrown in considering both come from Hertfordshire and were flying the flags for the young and old brigade of British golf.

Faldo's 67 gave him, for a time at least, the record for Royal St George's lengthened course. He already held the record for the old course - having shot a brilliant 63 in the second round of the 1993 championship when he was beaten into second place only by one of the most astonishing final rounds of 64 by Greg Norman.

The Faldo swing is the same, the fairways hit just as monotonously, and inevitably his pairing was put on the clock for slow play - but it's not quite the same Faldo.

The Faldo of yesteryear, all intensity and concentration, would never have joked around on the first tee in the third round of an Open, bobbing and weaving to try and elude a troublesome wasp.

When it settled on his shoulder he moved across to playing partner Ian Poulter to try to brush it his way with the aside: "I obviously smell better than you do."

"You must smell like a flower," retorted Poulter and the crowd lapped it up.

Indeed, the receptions for Faldo on every green were as rousing as anything this week and the memories must have flitted through his mind as early as the second which he birdied with a dribbled, meandering putt - and promptly threw a huge right hook at the sky.

That gave him the taste for it and another birdie at the 497-yard par-five fourth brought another volcanic eruption from the galleries and cries of "C'mon Nick".

In truth, he could easily have had six birdies on the first nine holes such was the precision of his driving and iron work. As it was he was out in 34 but it was the way he kept the round together before delivering a stirring finish which was so impressive.

A bogey at the 10th threatened to arrest the momentum but an immediate 25-foot putt for birdie at 11 erased the negative thoughts. The one wayward drive of his day found him in the fairway bunker at 13 but the ensuing bogey was once again swatted away like that first-tee wasp.

Three birdies in the last four holes saw him looking forward to a dinner supplied by his mum - chicken and pasta as usual, or as Faldo puts it: "I'm on my eat-to-win or win-to-eat diet."

So with the crowd carrying him down the fairways on a carpet of affection - "They were fantastic and it gives me a really nice feeling inside" - can he go even better on Sunday?

He was making no rash predictions but then neither was he ruling anything out.

"I hit three wood into eight today and that was a hell of a shot," said Faldo. "I'm comfortable with what I'm doing with my swing. And I putted very well. That was the big turnaround. I holed a lot of six to 10-footers today."

The only problem is any more excitement and the new Faldo might just be tempted to put in an early appearance.

"Valerie's doing great, she's sitting quietly," said Faldo. "It should all happen in another week's time. I've got that in the contract."

By the way Faldo also won The Open version of the Hertfordshire medal - young Poulter recording a 70, three behind the old master.