Ross Drummond retains a share of the lead at the De Vere Collection PGA Seniors Championship despite a nightmare conclusion to his second round at Slaley Hall.
The Scot leaked four shots over the closing two holes including a triple bogey at the eighth (his 17th) to shoot a one over par 73.
But his level par 144 total was enough to keep him at top of the leaderboard alongside Spain's Juan Quiros who fired a 71.
The pair are three shots clear of England's Nick Job, Italian Giuseppe Cali and Ireland's Denis O'Sullivan. Six players are locked together at four over par including Scots Bill Longmuir, Bill McColl and Gordon Brand Junior.
Drummond, runner up to Retief Goosen at Slaley Hall back in 1996 in the Northumbrian Challenge - the first European Tour event to ever be staged in the north - tried to put a positive light on his display but was fuming after his late collapse.
"I didn't put a foot wrong until the last two holes, apart from that I was three under for the round" he said.
"I was cruising, it was just one bad tee shot at eight, which is a really tough hole. It was into the wind and I tried to hit a three wood, hooked it a little bit and ran out of fairway.
"It went into bushes and was unplayable - I took a drop, hacked it back on to the fairway, came up short, pitched on to the green and two putted. It was an easy seven
"I then hit a good tee shot on nine but pulled the shot to left of green. I hit a lovely chip to the left of hole and had a really fast downhill putt and just dribbled it.
"I'm delighted with way I played just disappointed with how I finished. I dropped four shots in two holes and it's terrible."
Meanwhile a tweak to his putting grip has given Sam Torrance renewed confidence he can make a challenge over the weekend.
The Scot has refused to rule himself out of the reckoning after a battling three over par 75. He sits seven shots off the lead.
"Have I got a chance of winning from here? Absolutely," he said.
"I may need a couple of 68s but anything is possible. What gives me a little bit more confidence is that I started sinking some putts over the last few holes.
"I changed my putting style to get the top of the broom handle a bit lower, just below my neck and the top of my chest and it seemed to work ok."
Ian Woosnam is also made the weekend despite an 11 over total of 155 following a second round 76 and vowed to give the north east golf fans a weekend to remember.
"The object of exercise for me now is to try and get things going on Saturday then hopefully on Sunday I can climb up the field, pick up some Order of Merit points and give the crowd some good golf to watch," he said.
Round three draw.