After a superb outward 33 Bjorn, joint leader with Welshman Jamie Donaldson overnight, was seven under par and three ahead of Graeme Storm and five in front of third-place Jonathan Lomas.

The two Englishmen – Storm from Hartlepool and Lomas now based in Ayrshire - went to the turn in 35 and 36 respectively while Donaldson had three double bogeys on his card and could do no better than 40.

Darren Clarke, meanwhile, was in a tie for fourth place on one under and still seeking his first birdie of the day after 12 holes. He bogeyed the sixth, ninth and 11th while his former cup partner Bjorn picked up shots on the fourth and ninth.

Donaldson, like Storm, yet to win on the European tour, made a nightmare start, double-bogeying the first and bogeying the second.

Bjorn walked out of the event after six holes last year, but that was on the other course at the complex and he was glad to return to the lay-out on which he won a £100,000 diamond necklace for his wife Pernilla four years ago for playing the par fives in 14 under.

American Ryder Cup captain Tom Lehman, meanwhile, had fallen out of contention with a 79 – after incurring a two-stroke penalty for being late on the first tee by a few seconds. He and caddie Andy Martinez had both misread their scheduled start.

New US Open champion Michael Campbell, meanwhile, said he used the All Blacks’ victory over the Lions as inspiration as he birdied three of the first five holes en route to a 71 and one over aggregate.

After finding it hard to get his mind on the job in his opening 74 – no surprise after the high of a first major title – Campbell is content enough with how he has performed since.

“I’m just happy I made the cut this week and kept the engine turning over,” he said.

Colin Montgomerie shot 70 for two over and said: “That’s a good round. Four of those would win. My game’s coming together and I’m looking forward to the next two weeks.”

First comes the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, then the Open at St Andrews, where his former Ryder Cup partner Nick Faldo won in 1990.

“I enjoy the Scottish support. They lifted me at Royal Troon last year and hopefully will again, but St Andrews is different because the crowd are not on top of you. They’re 50 to 60 yards away at time.

“You see them on the first tee and then on the 18th green again really, but it’s a great atmosphere all the same.”

There has been much debate this week about the switching of next year’s European Open back to the K Club’s other course rather than keeping it on the venue for the Ryder Cup in September.

“Of course there are golfing advantages – huge,” commented Montgomerie. “But it’s whether it’s logistically possible.” Officials are worried about the areas around the course being damaged before the match.

“We have the advantage any way because we’ve played here before, as we had at Valderrama and The Belfry.”