David Carey is revelling in playing on the biggest stage of his golfing life at St Andrews.
Carey, 26, will definitely be around for the weekend after shooting a hugely impressive 67 today to go with his 72 last night at the Old Course.
Despite playing his golf on the Alpine Tour in front of hundreds instead of the 40,000 that are packing into the home of golf during the Open championship, the Dubliner is loving his major debut.
"I mean, I'm a complete show off so the more people that's there, the better," declared Carey.
"It's great, I've always loved having people around and when I get a crowd watching me hit drivers, I've always loved that. So the more people the better.
"I've never worried too much about what others think."
Carey, who has played professionally on Europe's third tier tour since he was 18, caught fire after a birdie on 2 was negated by a dropped shot on 6.
READ MORE: Open cut deeper for Padraig Harrington after blowing fast start at St Andrews
He rolled in five birdies in his next seven holes around the turn, a hot streak he later put down to being better off the tee, and then looked really comfortable as he plotted his way back to 18.
Carey is on 5-under for the championship and has put himself in line for the biggest payday of his career, but he is more interested in racing as far up the leaderboard as he can over the next two rounds.
"I try not to worry about the Open or what event I play in, I'm just judging it off how I felt I played and what I can do," he said
"Step one is to make the cut, you definitely can't win if you don't make the cut. I'll try and push on and do better tomorrow.
"I definitely could have got a couple more birdies but I'm moving the right way.
"I don’t play this game for money - not that I don’t want it, that’s a nice thing to come along when you do well, but I play to win golf tournaments.
"My goal will be to try get myself into a position to win and, if not, to try and finish as high as I can.
"Anybody who knows me or who has played a lot of golf with me will tell you this is not unexpected, we have just been waiting for the right moment.
"And I have got through the cut now and it is about trying to make the most of it, to push up and finish as high as I can.
"I definitely feel I can shoot lower than I did today, if I do that I can try get as far up there as I can and then I just have to see what everyone else ahead of me does."
The only golfer to have shot 57 in a world ranked professional tournament to date, Carey hasn't been all business all the time on the course.
Instead, he has chatted with markers and stewards and his playing partners, who were John Catlin and Jamie Rutherford for his first two rounds.
"I have definitely enjoyed it a little bit - I'm a big Man U fan and we talked about their transfer situation, but there is a lot of business as well," he said.
"I will definitely enjoy it more when I look back on it. There’s the talking and laughing with the caddies and marshals but apart from that it's focusing on the job."
As Carey walked off the 18th tee on his way to a closing par, a supporter roared 'Bryson' at him, a reference to the flat cap he faithfully wears in honour of his golfing hero, Ben Hogan.
The 'Bryson' reference, of course, relates to Bryson DeChambeau, who wears similar attire and, as they discovered over nine holes of practice earlier this week, they share a love of Hogan and of the Golf Instruction way of playing.
"The joke I have is that he (DeChambeau) has more copied me that I have copied him," grinned Carey, who claims he was hitting it hard off the tee years before the American.
"I have maybe taken a bit from him on the putting, seen some improved consistency to the roll with that particular type of putter," he added. "Swing wise, we're both fans of Hogan.
"I have more in common with Hogan than Bryson, but any comparison is definitely a compliment."
READ NEXT:
Rory McIlroy takes route 66 to start Open bid but Shane Lowry and Seamus Power have it all to do
No escaping the Peas for Shelbourne's prodigal star Megan Smyth-Lynch
Connolly feels right at home with Dundalk - but admits his days at Oriel could soon be numbered
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts
