Rory McIlroy insists he has got the game to reclaim the Claret Jug - and that he can't worry about Open leader Cameron Smith.
Aussie Smith tamed the Old Course at St Andrews with a sizzling eight under-par 64 before McIlroy responded with 68 to lie in third place, three shots behind the halfway pace-setter.
The Ulsterman punched the air after a brilliant Road Hole birdie that keeps him within touching distance of Smith, who has yet to claim a major title.
"I know I've got the game," McIlroy said. "That's all I need.
"I just need to go out and play my game and play my golf over the next two days and that's all I can do.
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"If Cam Smith goes out and shoots another two rounds like he did the first two days, I'm going to have a really hard time to win the tournament.
"So I've just got to go out and do the best I can and worry about myself and hopefully that's good enough."
McIlroy won the Open in 2014 but missed the last time it was held At St Andrews, which was a year later, because of an ankle injury he suffered while playing football.
It was his fourth major triumph but he hasn't won one since.
However he says he feels ready for what's ahead this weekend in a tournament that boasts a stacked leaderboard.
"Yeah, I get on the 1st tee and hit a good shot and try to just keep hitting good golf shots until I run out of holes," he commented.
"You just look at where you are on the leaderboard, but 13-under is leading and it doesn't matter what name is beside the 13-under, they played two really good rounds of golf.
"Obviously (Smith) is playing well. It's just about how far you're back and what the number is and sort of focusing on yourself to try to shoot the best score you can."
Earlier, Tiger Woods spoke of how he got emotional on his walk up 18 and McIlroy, who was just starting his round, tipped his cap to him, among other players.
Asked if he felt the emotion of the moment himself, McIlroy replied: "It would have been a cool moment if he was 8-under par instead of 8-over, whatever he was.
"A little bit. Yeah, I just hope...everyone hopes it's not the end of his Old Course career. I think he deserves, we deserve him to have another crack at it.
"Hopefully The Open's back here in four or five years' time and he does get another crack at it because with how good he's been throughout his career and how good he's been at the Old Course, I think he's got better in him."
The 33-year-old added: "I've gotten pretty close to Tiger over these last few years. And especially after the accident, and I think we've all sort of rallied around him down there in Jupiter. And we all want to see him do well.
"He was all our hero growing up, even though I'm maybe a touch older than some of the other guys.
"But we want to see him do well. We want to see him still out there competing. And this week was obviously a tough week for him.
"But we're all behind him. We're all pulling for him. And again, as I said, hopefully he's back here in the next four, five years and playing in another Open championship on the Old Course."
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