"I like to write things out or just draw with my hands."

Vegas carded a one-under 70 in his second round to move to eight under par, two shots clear of England's Matt Fitzpatrick, France's Matthieu Pavon and Kim Si-woo of South Korea.The 40-year-old, who was out in the early wave, led by four on the 18th but he posted a double-bogey six to keep a congested chasing pack in close proximity.

Fitzpatrick has had an inconsitent year of no top-20 finishes and four missed cuts in 11 events. But after a second round of 68, the 30-year-old from Sheffield, who won the 2022 US Open, said: "I'm just happy to be playing well this week."Having been in this position before is a huge advantage. I feel like there's less pressure. I want to win another major and I'm looking forward to being in contention again."Kim recorded the longest hole-in-one in a major on the 252-yard par-three sixth during a superb round of 64 to join the Europeans two off the pace.

Among those gathered behind are world number one Scottie Scheffler and reigning US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau, who are ominously placed three and five shots off the lead respectively.Scotland's Robert MacIntyre followed his opening 68 with a one-under 70 to sit four off the lead on four under par. He is one ahead of England's Aaron Rai (72) and Richard Bland (69).

Masters champion McIlroy shot 69 to be one over par at the halfway mark, nine strokes off the lead.

Like McIlroy, Schauffele narrowly made it through to the weekend to continue the defence of the crown he won at Valhalla 12 months ago.In September 1999 the novelist Jeffrey Archer was selected by party members, beating Steve Norris.

But in a plot twist reminiscent of one of his books, Archer withdrew from the race a few months later after it was alleged he had committed perjury in a famous libel case.Lord Archer had secured the Conservative nomination with backing from former prime ministers Margaret Thatcher and John Major, who in 1992 had made him a peer.

Five years earlier, in 1987, Archer had won a libel case against The Daily Star which published a story that he had paid off a sex worker called Monica Coghlan.After his selection as a mayoral candidate, a former friend of Archer's told the News of the World that he had lied in the libel trial and asked him to provide a false alibi.