JUST as he did when he took third place two years ago – in only his second professional event – Rory McIlroy tamed one of the toughest holes in golf yesterday.

And this time his birdie three on the famous Road Hole 17th at St Andrews helped the prodigiously talented 20-year-old into a share of the halfway lead in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

McIlroy, needing a top-two finish to go top of the European money list, is alongside fellow Northern Irishman Michael Hoey and Scot Richie Ramsay on 11 under par after a superb 65.

And what made it extra special was the fact that he is competing in the celebrity pro-am with dad Gerry, 50, this coming Monday.

After three-putting the 16th for what was his only bogey on the opening two days McIlroy’s father come over to him to say: ‘‘You’ve finished 3-3 before, so why not do it again?’’ The Dubai Desert Classic champion was already thinking the same, hit a drive and seven-iron to 15 feet, made the putt and then smashed another drive on to the 18th green 350 yards away – something he had never done before – and two-putted.

Graeme Storm is tied in 20th spot after back-to-back 69s at Carnoustie. Playing parner Ronan Keating is on 11 under. He shot a 67 yesterday.

There is a lot at stake this weekend, not least a first prize of more than £485,000, but before transferring to Kingsbarns for the third round McIlroy added: ‘‘I think playing with my dad will be a great distraction.

‘‘Growing up I never thought he’d be able to walk up the 18th at St Andrews with me in this big a tournament.

It’s fantastic.’’ Four off the lead at the start of the day, but given a chance to take over at the top with Thomas Bjorn adding only a 74 at Carnoustie to his 64 at Kingsbarns, McIlroy birdied the third and then eagled the 568-yard fifth with a five-wood to 12 feet.

Three more birdies were to follow before his stumble three holes from home, but that was quickly forgotten.

Ramsay, called into the event late last week on the withdrawal through injury of Paul Casey, shot 66 at St Andrews, while Hoey had the same score at Carnoustie.

A top-ten finish tomorrow will secure Ramsay’s card for next season, but the former US Amateur champion can aim higher than that – and he has already taken the opportunity to blast those who knock the current state of Scottish golf.

Their highest-ranked player in the world is Gary Orr at 140th, but they are the current world and European amateur champions and they were World Cup winners two years ago.

‘‘In America, the positive attitude they have is unbelievable, whereas Scottish scepticism can creep in and it’s a difficult thing to fight,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s almost like some people are waiting for you to trip up. I think we’ve got to be a lot more positive.’’ Hoey, winner of the Portuguese Open in April, had a double bogey and bogey in his opening 67 at Kingsbarns, but did not make a mistake over the most difficult of the three courses and eagled the 514- yard 14th.

One stroke behind are another Scot Alastair Forsyth, who last week in Estonia qualified for the World Cup with David Drysdale, English pair Simon Dyson and Ross Mc- Gowan and Finland’s Mikko Ilonen, like Hoey a former British amateur champion.

Ryder Cup trio Oliver Wilson, Darren Clarke and Paul McGinley are all at eight under and Luke Donald only one further back.

That promised to be even better when, playing with exfootballer Jamie Redknapp, he covered the first 14 holes at St Andrews in eight under.

Then came bogeys at the 15th and 17th, but he did birdie the last to match McIlroy’s 65.

Bjorn dropped all the way back to 20th on six under, but is still two ahead of Lee Westwood and Padraig Harrington.