Faldo's 69 in the second round at Muirfield on Friday was the 34th time the veteran Englishman had beaten 70 at The Open.

He said: "It is nice to beat Jack at something. I shot 66 and 64 here 10 years ago in similar conditions, but I was good then!"

Three-time Open champion Faldo, who won the tournament in 1987 and 1992, the last two times it was held at Muirfield, had mixed feelings after achieving the feat.

"It feels like a bit of a struggle at the moment," he said. "I am not confident with anything - the pace of the greens, my swing.

"I hit one great five-iron into the fifth for an eagle and birdied the next with a good putt, but one good putt over two days - that is no darn good is it?"

Despite his frustration with how he is playing, the six-time Major champion was happy to still be in with a shout over the weekend.

"My first goal was to make the cut, but if they keep these wicked pin positions and you keep your head down and play smart, you never know what might happen," he said.

Since making his Open debut in 1976, Faldo has only missed the cut twice - in 1999 and 2001 - in 27 appearances.