The "Banchory Boys" from the small town on Royal Deeside are hogging the limelight at the halfway stage of the Aberdeen Asset Management Northern Open golf championship
Shortly after Greig Hutcheon had posted a second-round 68 for a 36-hole tally of six-under-par 134 to lead by two shots, in came James Byrne in the early evening sunshine to knock his townmate and good friend off the top spot.
Byrne repeated his first-day 66 for eight-under 132.
James, 23, who leaves on Sunday for Malaysia to resume his campaign on the Asia Tour, is a lot more optimistic than Hutcheon about the eventual outcome of the four-round Tartan Tour major.
"Of course, I'm confident. At eight-under-par, I have to be. Over the past two days, I've cut out the mistakes that Ive been making in other tournaments this year," said Byrne, a former Walker Cup player and US college circuit golfer for four years at Arizona State University.
"I could have putted better than I did today but I cant complain after another 66. So I'm really looking forward to the last two days.
"I played with Greig in this tournament last year. So that will be good."
Byrne birdied the first, fifth, seventh, 11th, 16th and 17th, dropping shots only at the sixth and 14th
Before Byrne pushed him off the top spot, Hutcheon, with the wisdom of a 39-year-old leader of both the Tartan Tour's money list and Order of Merit, had said he was certainly not in a "who's gonna be second mood?"

 Hutcheon, pictured right on the first tee today, winner of the Northern Open two years ago, said:
"I played solidly today and had five birdies, could have scored less than two-under-par but so much will depend on the Scottish PGA officials on what happens over the remaining two rounds.
"This can be a risk-and-reward course and if they move the tees forward or backwards at different holes, it could make a big difference to the outcome.
"Golf is a game that is always trying to trip you up, so there is no way I would be over-confident about winning the championship."
Hutcheon started his second round poorly by his standards by bogeying the third (missed green) and fourth (three putts) but channelled his anger into getting back on the sub-par trail.
He birdied the long fifth, missed a couple of birdie chances at the sixth and seventh and then hit his approach at the ninth to within "13 or 14 inches" of the hole for another birdie to turn in level par 35.
Hutch moved one under the card by holing a 10ft birdie putt at the 10th and two under with a two-putt birdie at the 11th.
"I three-putted downhill for a bogey at the 12th and should have done better than par both the 13th and 14th - definite birdie chances missed there - before I was able to drive to the fringe of the par-4 17th and two-putt for the last of my five birdies."
Joint third overnight on 136, four behind Byrne and two in arrears of Hutcheon are Neil Fenwick (Dunbar) and first-round leader Jasom McCreadie (Buchanan Castle) 65-71.
"Normal service resumed" said McCreadie, winner of the 2004 and 2006 Northern Opens, with a wry smile.
"I lost a ball at the fourth, which cost me a double bogey 6 but I did birdie the second, fifth and eighth alonside bogeys at the third, sixth and ninth to reach the turn in two-over 37.
"I hit some bad shots out there but I also hit a few good ones so it's not over yet."
Fenwick, now 24, was on Dunfermline Athletic Football Club's books as a promising teenage centre half but he also had potential as a golfer by then.
"It was a tough decision but I knew I could not go on playing both football and golf. So I opted for golf and PGA training under Dunbar pro Jacky Montgomery," said Edinburgh-based Neil who is now on his second full Tartan Tour season - and doing very well.
He birdied the second, fifth, 11th, 16th and 17th in halves of 34 and 33.
"My target is to finish in the top three of the Order of Merit and qualify for the PGA play-offs but I have a two-year plan to make it up to the European Tour."
On 137 are Paul McKechnie (Braid Hills) (69-68) and Graham Fox (Rowallan Castle) (70-67)
Aberdonian Greg McBain (Gamola Golf) is joint seventh on 138 after repeating his 69 with few deviations from par. He birdied the fifth, 13th and 16th, dropping shots at the second and 15th.

 ELLON'S ADAM DUNTON IS LEADING RACE
 FOR AMATEUR'S BOOKLESS CUP

Adam Dunton (McDonald Ellon) is the front runner in the race for the Bookless Cup, the leading amateur award. The Scotland international, pictured right, is sharing 11th place on 139 after following up a 73 with a 66, equalling the lowest score of the tournament.
Dunton had not one but two eagles on his card - at the par-5 11th and the par-4 13th where he holed a nine-iron shot from 130yd uphill.
"Ive improved a lot over the past year to 18 months, thanks to a lot of hard work under coach Neil Marr. After playing for Scotland against South Africa, I was disappointed not to be selected for the home internationals but it was my own fault. I should have played in the Newlands Trophy SGU Order of Merit event at Lanark but instead I went to the Moray Open," said Dunton.
"It counted against me when it came to the international team selection. It was a massive mistake on my part."
Dunton plans to go to the European Tour School next year.
Defending champion David Law (Paul Lawrie Golf Centre) made the cut with ease after improving by five shots with a 68 for 141.
Like playing partner Hutcheon, Law had a sticky start with shots dropped at the third and fourth but he too turned his fortunes around over the remaining holes. He covered them in four under par with birdies at the short sixth, 14th, long 16th and 17th for 32 home.
Ross MacLeod (Eastwood) was one of the non-qualifiers for the final two rounds despite a hole in one at the 153yd sixth hole with a seven-iron. He had scores of 80 and 74 for 154.
Forty-two players with two-round totals of four-over-par 144 or better qualified for the final two rounds on Thursday and Friday.