Stephen Gallacher hailed a helping hand from across the Atlantic after rallying on the back nine to make the cut at Royal Aberdeen.
The Press and Journal columnist shot a two-under-par 69 to finish one under for the tournament to ensure he will be playing this weekend at the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.
An overnight tweak to his putting made all the difference for Gallacher, who found himself three over for the tournament after five holes yesterday, rallied with four birdies.
He was quick to hail the influence of putting expert Dave Stockton and said: “I got a text from Dave last night giving me some advice and it worked for me today. I can’t see what I’m doing when I’m putting so it’s nice to have somebody else keeping an eye on me.
“I took his advice and putted for an hour and a half up at Trump International Links last night and the ball rolled better straight away.
“It’s bizarre as I played brilliantly yesterday but putted terribly and today I’ve played terribly and putted brilliantly.”
On a day when the swirling wind on the Balgownie links made for a challenging round Gallacher was pleased to have survived.
He said: “It’s a totally different course today with the wind blowing in the opposite direction so I’m delighted to be under par.
“The back nine is playing really tough, the way it is supposed to, and it has been a really difficult day for everybody. The minute we reach the turn the wind is a factor and it’s important to score on the front nine as chances on the back nine in these conditions are going to be few and far between.
“But that’s the beauty of links golf. One day it’s a drive and a wedge, the next day it’s driver, three wood or five iron. It can change mid-round too so we’re all forced to think and plot our way round.
“I’ve enjoyed fantastic support and I feel as if I’m not too far away going into the weekend.”