Padraig Harrington finished in a blaze to shoot an eight-under-par 64 and rocket into contention at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
The 51-year-old is 11-under-par for the tournament and currently one shot behind his compatriot Shane Lowry at the DP World Tour event.
Harrington is bidding to become the oldest winner in the history of the DP World Tour by eclipsing Miguel Angel Jimenez's current record of 50 years and 133 days.
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After opening the tournament with a four-under-par 68, he struggled to a one-over-par 73 in his second round.
Needing a fast start on moving day, Harrington found the par-five 2nd hole in two strokes to make his first birdie of the day.
He found the right rough with his opening two shots on the par-four 6th hole, Harrington then chipped in for birdie.
Making the turn in 34 strokes, the Dubliner then really caught fire to birdie sixth holes in succession starting on the par five 11th hole.
Harrington hit his approach shot on the par three 17th hole to sixteen feet to extend his birdie run to seven holes, but he had to settle for a par.
After finding the fairway on par-five 18th hole, Harrington got his long shot within pitching distance of the green.
He left his pitch shot under the hole but was unable to convert the 13 foot putt and had to settle for eight-under-par 64.
Speaking after the round, Harrington said that patience was the key.
"When good things are happening to you on the golf course it's a lot easier to be patient and wait for your run.
"I didn't even know that I made six birdies on the back nine. It's just nice."
Asked to explain his longevity in the game, Harrington had a typically comprehensive answer.
He told Sky Sports: "The game has changed and will be changing forward. I would have been one of the first guys who started in the era of Tiger's big money to have a full-time physio and a full-time trainer.
"I would have looked after myself all the time. Just a different lifestyle and I think there's a lot of players who will get to 50 years of age fitter and stronger.
"The biggest problem is burnout. I was burnt out five years ago. I'm out here because I've nothing else to do.
"I've figured out that this is what I like doing and I'm good at it. There's no point trying to do something else that I'll have never be as good at as I am at golf.
"So why not find a way of loving golf again. It did help me a lot on the Champions Tour but even before then I realised I needed to change my golfing personality."
He added: "I was in contention a lot last year and I feel comfortable in having a chance and taking on the shots."
While without a win on the DP World Tour since the 2016 Portugal Masters, the three-time major champion won four times on the PGA Tour Champions last season to rediscover the winning feeling.
And he skipped the season opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship on the Champions Tour to take his chance against the young guns in Abu Dhabi.
But if he is to win again on the DP World Tour he will have to better his compatriot and good friend Shane Lowry.
The Offaly man birdied the par-five 2nd hole before sensationally holing his second shot from 155 yards on the par-four sixth hole.
Further birdies would follow on the par five 7th hole and the par four 9th hole to see the 2019 Open champion make the turn in 31 strokes.
At the time of writing Lowry is one shot clear at the top of a stacked leaderboard at the Yas Links course.
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