Andrew Oldcorn plans to pitch in with youngsters at Gleneagles

The 58-year-old was speaking after upstaging some of the young guns on the Tartan Tour in the opening 36 holes in the Tartan Tour’s flagship event.

Despite getting the worst of the second-day conditions, he battled his way to a gutsy level-par 70 on the King’s Course at the Perthshire venue.

That left him sitting joint-11th on one-under, with sufficient time to try and make up a seven-shot deficit on halfway leader Greig Hutcheon.

“I played solid today – much better than yesterday,” said Oldcorn, who plays most of his golf these days on the Staysure Tour, formerly the European Senior Tour.

“I got another bad draw, but I drove the ball a lot better today while I have also putted better with a new putter that is in the bag for the first time this week. I will go out and give it a bash in the final two rounds, when I will be trying to be a bit more aggressive.”

Paul McKechnie, who is attached to Braid Hills Golf Centre, is the leading Lothians-based player, sitting fourth on five-under after rounds of 67 and 68.

A shot behind him are Dunbar’s Neil Fenwick (67-69) and Jamie McLeary, who was attached to Dalmahoy when he lived in Bonnyrigg.

“I played nicely again today,” said McLeary, who moved to Cupar earlier in the year. “I’m still in there; still fighting. Hopefully I can get a few more putts to drop and I will be there or thereabouts.”

Zack Saltman is joint-14th on level-par, two shots ahead of James McGhee (Swanston) and West Linton’s Gareth Wright.

A two-time winner, Wright was feeling frustrated after adding a 70 to his opening 72. “That’s probably the best I’ve hit it for six or seven months apart from one bad shot,” said the two-time winner.

That was reference to a tee shot at the 17th that ended up in a bush, costing him a double-bogey before bouncing back with a closing eagle.

Banchory man Hutcheon, another two-time champion, shot a 64 to move into a one-shot lead.