Ross Fisher hauled himself into contention for a maiden major title but the leading Briton again insisted he will give up any shot at glory in order to be with his wife if she goes into labour.

Fisher followed up his opening one-under-par 69 with a superb 68 in appalling conditions today. It left him three under and just two shots off the clubhouse lead held by America's Steve Marino.

Having already proved he has the temperament for the big occasion by finishing fifth in the US Open at Bethpage near New York last month, the 28-year-old from Cheam in Surrey is now ready to make his move over the weekend.

But whether it is up the leaderboard or back home by private jet will depend on his wife Jo, who is expecting their first child. Fisher said: "I'd love to be here for all four days but, obviously, my wife comes first.

"If she were to go into labour this evening or tomorrow, I've got no choice. I want to be there."

The distractions associated with becoming a father made Fisher's performance in today's wind and rain all the more commendable.

He traded two birdies for two bogeys on the outward nine, dropped another shot at the 14th, but then rattled in three successive birdies from the 15th.

He said: "I'm thinking about Jo all the time and how she is. But at the same time I'm here to do a job. Until I receive a telephone call or any information, I'm trying to put it to the back of my mind and concentrate on golf. It was tricky out there. I just had to stay patient and take it one shot at a time.

"Birdies were very difficult. I went out there with the mindset of trying to make as many pars as I could, keeping bogeys off the scorecard. And fortunately I made five birdies."

Chasing Fisher was Martin Kaymer, the emerging German star who is going for three titles in three weeks following his back-to-back wins in the French Open and the Barclay's Scottish Open at Loch Lomond.

Kaymer followed up a first-round 69 with a respectable 70 to go into the weekend on one under par. He admitted his success, worth a total of over £1 million in prizemoney, had sapped him of mental energy.

The 24-year-old said: "Two wins is great, but right now three seems impossible. But that's why I'm here, to try and do that."