But Bjorn, who only six weeks ago had an 11 on one hole and a closing 86 when leading the European Open at the K Club near Dublin, could “only” par the 17th - at 650 yards the longest hole in major history.

He did then two-putt the 554-yard last, however, and that meant he became the 20th player to score a 63 in a major. Greg Norman and Vijay Singh have done it twice.

“It’s a long list, but it’s a good list to be on,” he said. “I came here with absolutely no expectations, but I must be a bit further in my swing changes than I thought I was!”

The British Masters champion, who decided to alter his game after driving out of bounds on the wide open last hole of St Andrews to miss the halfway cut in the Open last month, was back in the hunt for the final major of the season with his course record-equalling seven under par effort.

Just as overnight leader Phil Mickelson resumed on eight under par Bjorn posted a five under total of 205 – and then Mickelson bogeyed the second.

Providing nobody raced away with things Bjorn will enter the closing 18 holes with a chance to make amends for what happened in the 2003 Open.

At Sandwich the 34-year-old led by three with four to play, bogeyed the 15th, took five at the short 16th after two attempts to get out of a greenside bunker came back into the sand, and bogeyed the 17th to lose by one to Ben Curtis.

A year later he walked out of the K Club “fighting demons” and has longed for a day like this ever since.

Bjorn birdied three of the first five, bogeyed the 505-yard par four seventh, but then picked up further strokes on the 10th, 11th, 14th, 15th and 18th.

Earlier today Tiger Woods was left cursing the 17th and 18th.

Birdies at both of them for him would mean he equalled his lowest-round round in a major – 64 at Troon in 1997.

But Woods had to settle for pars on both on them and, having survived the halfway cut with nothing to spare at four over, a 66 left him still down the field on level par and surely too far back.

Having been 113th after his opening 75 and 62nd after 36 holes he had made a further move up to just outside the top 20, but it was not quite the charge it might have been.

“I didn’t get it as low as I wanted and I’m a little hot right now,” said Woods, referring to his mood rather than the scorching temperature.

“I’m disappointed because I had four opportunities on the back nine and could easily have been three shots better.

“If the leaders shoot in the mid-60s this afternoon guys like myself will be hard pressed to win this tournament.”

Nobody has been on the green in two on the 17th, but Woods had the length in his second round 69 and might even have gone through but for tugging it a touch and kicking into sand.

Off the perfect drive again this time he had 276 yards to go and took out a three-wood once more, but pulled it even more and the ball flew into the crowd.

His chip over the sand came up 25 feet short and he had to settle for a par five.

Woods was on in two at the last, but 30 feet above the flag and rolled it nine feet past. “A terrible putt,” he called it.

Missing the return totally took the edge off his day’s work – a day that actually began with a bogey.

Woods, who came to New Jersey to try to become the first player in golf history to win three majors in a season twice, blocked his drive under a tree.

His second was punched under the branches, but found a greenside bunker. He came out moderately to 10 feet and missed the putt.

Woods then had to save par on the second after missing that fairway as well and although he gave himself a birdie chance on the 503-yard par four third with two arrow-like shots the putt was a tough one and he did not read enough break on it.

But he then birdied the fifth, ninth, 10th, 14th and 15th and was flying at that point. The finish, though, took the wind out of his sails.

Mickelson found a bunker on the second and with Davis Love opening with two pars the gap between them was down to one.

Lee Westwood, though, bogeyed the third to remain four behind at three under. Playing partner and Nottinghamshire colleague Greg Owen parred the first three to remain three under and joint fifth.

American Charles Howell holed-in-one at the fourth, while John Daly damaged his putter flinging it at his bag coming off a green and had to switch to his wedge on the greens for the rest of the round.