Scottish Open: Phil Mickelson charges into contention at Castle Stuart PHIL Mickelson made a brilliant charge through the field in the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart today - and Martin Kaymer was back in form too. Mickelson was down in 123rd place after an opening 73, but made it all the way to joint 11th place with eight birdies in the first 15 holes of his second round. It was a dramatic way to end a worrying run of eight successive rounds over par - that had never happened in his career before - and suddenly the American star was in contention at an event he entered only on Saturday. The three-time Masters champion left his family on holiday in Rome to add another tournament to his schedule before moving onto Royal Lytham, where he will try next week to improve on his joint runner-up finish behind Darren Clarke last year. Looking for an early boost when he teed off, he did not have to wait long. His 60-yard pitch to the 10th went into the hole for an eagle two. Mickelson had to wait until the 16th for his next birdie, but then came four in a row around the turn and a pitch to six feet at the long sixth brought him another. Kaymer, meanwhile, was hitting back from finishing dead last of those who made the cut at the French Open last week. Resuming on five under he had five birdies in six holes from the 11th and after bogeying the short 17th had two more in the next three. That took Germany's former world number one, winner of the title at Loch Lomond three years ago, to 11 under par and alongside Swede Alex Noren and Argentina's Ricardo Gonzalez. Italian Francesco Molinari, who began with a 10 under course record of 62, was among the later starters, but leading Scot Paul Lawrie was in danger of missing the cut in a blow to his Ryder Cup hopes. Lawrie, playing with Mickelson, had four birdies, but also bogeys on the 12th and short fourth to stand one under. Colin Montgomerie was alongside him after chipping in at the sixth, but their compatriots Martin Laird and Peter Whiteford were going much better. Laird was six under with two to play, while Whiteford aced the 168-yard 11th, turned in 30 and stood eight under after 13 holes. That hole-in-one might have been worth 168 bottles of champagne to him, but England's Andrew Johnston claimed that prize yesterday.