McGinley better prepared now

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McGinley shared the lead with eventual champion Tom Lehman at the halfway stage at Lytham in 1996, but admits he was overawed by the occasion and shot 74 and the 40-year-old Dubliner is confident he will be able to handle the attention after setting the clubhouse target with an opening 67, four under par, at Carnoustie.

"I did play well, I haven't played like that for a while and it was a lot of fun," he said. "I've been making cuts but not contending, that was a step up in quality and a good time to do it. "I found something on the range this morning, it felt comfortable and it clicked and off I went."

Speaking of Lytham in 1996, McGinley added: "It was a great learning experience because I played with Tom the next day when he shot 64 to basically win the tournament.

"It was quite daunting at the time, I wasn't really ready for it. It was just a circus."

McGinley led by one from New Zealand's Michael Campbell, with the hat-trick seeking Tiger Woods just a stroke further back after a 69.