While the late finishers of the 132-strong field in the Gleneagles Scottish PGA Championship were struggling to latch onto his coat-tails, David Orr was already picking up taxi passengers 60 miles away on the south side of Glasgow.
Out in the day's first three-ball at 7am, Orr carded a four-under 69 over the PGA Centenary course for a halfway aggregate of 140. That left him three strokes clear of Cowglen's Mark Loftus, with Jason McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) and former champion, Colin Gillies (Kingsfield GR) a further shot behind.
At the age of 33, Orr is in the midst of his PGA training with East Renfrewshire club professional, Stewart Russell. But family considerations have made it necessary for him to sit behind a steering wheel for part of his working life.
"We've a two-year-old son and my wife Rona, went into hospital today for her 20-week pregnancy scan of our second child", explained Orr. "So the taxi money comes in handy."
Not since 2003 has the former PGA Assistants' champion been on the verge of winning a sizeable cheque (this weekend's champion picks up £8,800). He took the PGA Europro Tour Championship's top prize of £20,000 that year on the Algarve.
The wind, plus the sheer difficulty of the 7,153-yard course, derailed a good number of the fancied starters, not least the holder, Dean Robertson, whose 77 for 150 leaves him 10 off the pace.
Paul McKechnie, the season's top player so far, is also on the back foot after a 79 left him on 149, and the third member of that three-ball, Murray Urquhart, could do no better than 79, for 152. Overnight leader Graeme McInnes signed for a debilitating 83 after hitting the high spots with a 69 yesterday.
There were some encouraging performances, though. Edzell veteran Alastair Webster matched the championship's best score, a 69, as did Chris Doak, for 146 and 145 respectively.
Fifty-four players made the cut, on 154, eight over par.