He reckons it’s the “Costa del Lothian” this week in the shimmering sunshine and Grant Forrest has been firing up the barbecue at his home in Pencaitland feeling a much happier man over the past couple of days. Dejected about his game after signing off in last week’s BMW International Open in Munch, the 32-year-old has given himself the boost he was looking for on home soil in the Genesis Scottish Open. After rounds of 67-68 at The Renaissance Club, where he just happens to be attached, Forrest is heading into the weekend in a promising position on five under in the $9 million Rolex Series event. “Yes,” he replied, smiling, to being asked if he felt in a better place than Sunday night.“Yesterday was a big day. I started with a bogey, knuckled in and holed a few putts. bogeyed the last, but I was pretty chuffed with that score. Today I didn’t quite get the putts to drop, but I only dropped a shot and it was pretty solid.” Forrest came into this event sitting 124th in the DP World Tour’s Race to Dubai Rankings. Retaining his card will be the No 1 priority over the next few months, but, more immediately after an encouraging start, he’s set up a chance to secure one of three spots up for grabs in The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush next week. “It feels like that,” he said of how players at this level often discover that they can feel down about their game but it isn’t actually too far away from clicking. “Sometimes just a couple of shots that you hit that you’re not comfortable with and you pull them off can turn things around. I’m comfortable on this course and I’m just trying to draw on that as much as I can.” People often talk about East Lothian having its own micro-climate, but the weather so far this week has been off the charts. “The Costa del Lothian,” said Forrest, who has lived in the area for most of his life. “We have had it pretty good here this year. To get a cracking week like this for the Scottish Open is brilliant. It’s hard to beat links golf when it’s dry and sunny.” He laughed when it was pointed out that house prices in the area will be going up on the back of the stunning aerial images of the East Lothian coast being shown on TV around the world. “It’s going on the market tomorrow!” he said of his own house, having recently bought somewhere else in Pencaitland, which is about a 20-minute drive from this week’s venue, to live with his wife, Christy, and their young son, Spencer. Asked if it was good to be at home for this week’s assignment, Forrest said: “Yes, one of my best mates, Callum {Stewart], from up north is staying with me this week. I’ve got the wee man to keep occupied, too. “But it’s nice just being at home. We can stick the barbecue on when it’s like this. I’m not bad (at being a chef). Steaks are probably my speciality.”