As he did that overnight leader Thomas Bjorn, round in 64 yesterday, three-putted the short second and at nine under fell back alongside Luton’s Philip Golding and German Marcel Siem, who had already finished with a 64.

In the 1992 Scottish Open at Gleneagles O’Malley played the last five holes in an incredible seven under par – eagle, birdie, birdie, birdie, eagle – to deny Colin Montgomerie.

He has won only twice in Europe since then and is down in 135th place on this season’s Order of Merit.

Bjorn was paired with fellow Dane Anders Hansen and last year’s Volvo PGA champion made an even worse start, going into the lake on the second for a double-bogey five.

Justin Rose, who incurred a penalty stroke on the opening day when he trod on his ball, bogeyed the same hole and after four holes was six under, five adrift.

Golding is the 40-year-old who has paid a record 16 trips to the tour qualifying school, the most recent of them last November, but a 14-foot birdie putt on the first kept him on course for his best-ever performance.

“I’ve very nearly packed in a couple of times and to win would be a complete dream,” said Golding, who resumed today two strokes behind Danish Ryder Cup player Thomas Bjorn.

“I know I’ll get nervous because I always do, but I draw strength from people like Malcolm Mackenzie and Roger Chapman, who have shown what is possible.”

Both were also 40 when they tasted victory for the first time – Chapman on his 472nd start in Brazil three years ago and Mackenzie at the 509th attempt in the French Open at the same Le Golf National course last season.

Golding is playing his 201st tour event, but the wait has been just as long in terms of years and filled with more tension than any sportsman deserves to face.

He turned professional in 1981, but it took him 10 tries to make it onto the circuit in the first place.

The highest he has finished on the Order of Merit since then was his 119th last year – and there was agony attached to that.

He finished the final counting event, the Italian Open, with a career-best 63. He thought it had spared him the school, but after he had left the course he slipped to 13th place and it turned out he needed a 62.

When he was told the bad news he did not want to put himself through the qualifying ordeal again. His wife Sally persuaded him to go, however, and he finished a brilliant third.

This year is threatening to be his best-ever. He lies 79th with almost £100,000 (€145,000) and has top seven top 30 finishes already.

But it has not been without its rollercoaster ride. In Qatar he would have finished fifth but for a four-stroke penalty for carrying an extra club in his bag. He dropped to 14th because of it.

“My goal at the start of every year is to retain my card, but now I can set a higher one – to qualify for the Volvo Masters in November.” That is purely for the top 50 on the money list this time.

Victory tomorrow would earn him over £290,000 (€355,000) – almost his entire career earnings prior to this year – but he says: “It would mean an awful lot besides that.”