Shane Lowry leads the Open by two from Daniel Brown and Justin Rose to ensure for the first time since 1951, that the top three at the halfway stage of The Open are all from Ireland or the United Kingdom.
Irish pro and former Open winner Lowry continued to excel in the wind on the Ayrshire coast with a birdie at the last for a -2 second round to get to -7 in total. That is two ahead of Brown and Rose who built on their fine play on day one with rounds of +1 and -3 respectively.
Rose, who had to qualify for this week, was particularly impressive as he only dropped one shot and drained a big birdie putt for a 68 at the last to huge cheers. But a host of players as far back such as Jon Rahm in tied 13th on +1 in total are still well in this tournament.
However several big names missed the cut - none more so than Rory McIlroy who finished +11 in total and admitted he may have to change his game in future to end his Major drought stretching back to 2014. McIlroy reflected: “These windy conditions have got the better of me in two Majors this year now and it is something I am maybe going to have to address in future.”
Among the other names heading home after finishing worse than the cut mark of +6 are: Tiger Woods (+14), Cameron Smith (+12), Viktor Hovland (+10), Bryson DeChambeau , Ludvig Aberg and Tommy Fleetwood , who are all +9. But Max Homa birdied the last with a lengthy putt to make the cut on the line at +6.
The Open Leaderboard:
The Open Cut: +6
Hello and welcome to day two at Royal Troon. It's set to be an exciting one at both ends of the leaderboard with high winds once again forecasted.
Friday's pin positions revealed
Friday hole locations for The 152nd Open. pic.twitter.com/VqsQHz6B7PJuly 18, 2024
PLAY UNDERWAY SHORTLY
Scottish prospect Ewen Ferguson and recent DP World Tour winner Marcel Siem are first to tee off this morning at 6.35am in a two-ball. They are +3 and +2 respectively.
TOP STATS OF DAY ONE
The pros definitely found Royal Troon tough yesterday. Only three players completed bogey-free rounds in the first round: Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and Daniel Brown. The hardest hole of the day was the 12th with a stroke average of 4.397. There were 9 birdies, 92 pars, 44 bogeys, 7 doubles and 4 others, including an 8 for Ben Griffin. Robert MacIntyre averaged the longest drive in the first round with 319.5 yards. Drives are measured on the 6th and the 13th. MacIntyre and Altin van der Merwe hit the longest drives of the day on the 13th of 364 yards.
Yesterday's average score was 74.4 at par 71 Troon
It is fresh and overcast today with a stiffer wind predicted later in the day. The pros found the scoring very hard yesterday with the average score of +3.4 over par. Today isn't going to get any easier either.
FERGUSON AND SIEM TEE OFF
Ferguson, a three-time winner on the DP World Tour, has teed off and is in the right rough. Siem found the middle of the fairway en-route to an opening birdie as Ferguson made par. The first is playing straight into the wind, which is not the typical breeze here and will again test the pros.
SIEM'S OPENING BIRDIE A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME?
Marcel Siem opened up with a class approach and drained a 13-footer for an impressive birdie on the first. The weather looks a little brighter and stiller compared to this time yesterday so perhaps scoring will be better. Siem has also put his approach close at the second but has to settle for par like Ferguson.
THIRD GROUP UNDERWAY
Almost every player this morning so far has hit some form of a driving iron off the first and are looking to keep it short of the bunkers at 250 yards out.
MANSELL LOOKING TO REDISCOVER HIS FORM FROM SUNDAY
Richard Mansell earned a place in the Open with an outstanding final round of 61 at the Scottish Open to finish tied 10th. He is on the first green with a birdie look but has to settle for a par as he remains +4.
ANOTHER TRADEMARK FIST-PUMP FROM SIEM
What a start for popular German Marcel Siem who is -2 through three holes after a second birdie. That takes Siem back to level par for the tournament and gives an insight into the opening holes.
ERNIE ELS WITHDRAWS
Ernie Els has withdrawn due to a back injury. The 2002 and 2012 Open winner was due to tee off at 7:19am, but Gary Woodland and Altin van der Merwe will now play as a two-ball. Els shot 82 in round one - 11 over par.
THE OPENING SIX HOLES ARE GET-ABLE THIS MORNING
With minimal breeze, the opening six holes here are there for the taking this morning. The first three par fours are all under 400 yards and Marcel Siem has shown there are birdies out there. The German has wedged in close at the par 5 fourth too where he makes his third birdie to get to -1 in total having started at +2.
Temperatures rising as the competition heats up. pic.twitter.com/kPYKYkAYEQJuly 19, 2024
FORMER TROON OPEN CHAMPION HENRIK STENSON UNDERWAY
Swedish former Open champion Stenson has teed off and found the left side of the fairway at the first. Stenson is +6 after round one and needs a decent score to make the cut.
SIEM MAKES PAR AT THE PAR 3 FIFTH
Siem remains -1 for the tournament and -3 for the day after a par on the fifth. He has shown how the pros can attack this opening run with minimal wind. Gary Woodland is another thriving after successive birdies to move from +5 to +3.
A fast Friday start.Marcel Siem birdies 3 out of the first 4 holes.https://t.co/mgWze5eA37 pic.twitter.com/WKlr6BpwaBJuly 19, 2024
SIEM SPINS IN A CLOSE APPROACH ON THE SIXTH
Siem has another birdie look on the par 5 sixth after spinning in a wedge to about 16 feet. He holes it making him -4 for six holes and -2 in total which shows what is possible out there this morning in conditions which look set to make it the best side of the draw.
SIEM SPLITS FAIRWAY ON THE SEVENTH
He probably woke up this morning with the aim of making the cut as he was +2 but now at -2 after a stunning start, Siem is bang in the mix. He has followed up his fourth birdie on the sixth with a 256-yard tee shot into the fairway at the seventh, leaving 148 to the flag as he finds the green but is 34 feet away as he makes a par.
The birdie run continues.Marcel Siem is 4-under par on his round and only 4 shots off the lead. pic.twitter.com/iCzJuTBI2MJuly 19, 2024
HORSCHEL ALSO MAKES A PERFECT START
Billy Horschel has also found the conditions to his liking with the American one-under-par now after opening with successive birdies but he is set to drop a shot after going in a bunker on the third.
SENSATIONAL SHOT FROM SIEM AT THE POSTAGE STAMP
Siem is dialled in. That much is clear. He is -4 for seven holes and has just put his tee shot at the tricky Postage Stamp to eight feet from 120 yards. Playing partner Even Ferguson's ball pitched nearby and span back into a bunker showing the fine margins out there.
SIEM NOW JUST THREE SHOTS OFF THE LEAD IN TIED THIRD
Siem has just rolled in a short birdie putt on the Postage Stamp eighth to get to -3 in total and -5 for the day. Superb stuff from the German whose trademark fist-pump has been out in force. He has climbed 39 places in just eight holes. However he now turns into what are considered Troon's hardest holes with the wind picking up. Siem is only in a two-ball though and first out so he can push on and look to get in the clubhouse before the weather deteriorates a lot.
SIEM'S FIRST ERROR ON HIS APPROACH TO NINTH
Siem's faultless round has hit its first stumble with his approach to the par 4 ninth. The German has missed the green left with a shot from 178 yards into the wind, which has picked up. He had a lot of green to work with but his chip runs eight feet past and he drops a shot.
PHIL MICKELSON UNDERWAY WITH DUSTIN JOHNSON
Phil Mickelson, who was runner-up here in 2016 to Stenson, has just teed off alongside Dustin Johnson. They are only +2 and +3 respectively and could make the cut and be competitive with decent rounds today. Johnson is one of the few pros to take a fairway metal off the first as opposed to a driving iron.
SIEM ON THE 10TH GREEN WITH A BIRDIE PUTT
Siem hit a superb drive on the par 4 10th which is a blind shot. It actually rolled just through the end of the fairway but the German has wedged on to the green and is 36 feet away before curling a putt just past the hole for a tap in par.
A one-tee start is pleasing
I understand the reasons for having two tee starts in that it gets a field round in a shorter time span – and I know yesterday’s play ended not far short of 10 p.m., but I do like that The Open Championship does not use this system. It may be a nerdy thing, but golf courses are meant to be played for the first to the 18th hole in order - that is how they were designed to be played. It might not seem important, but on certain courses there is a distinct flow to the holes and that is broken when you start halfway through the round and finish halfway throughout. The 18th hole is designed to be the climax to a round, not so much the 9th.
It also makes it easier to follow who is doing well in comparison with others is the are al playing the course the same way round, especially when the nines are of differing difficulty, which can apply particularly on out-and-in links layouts when the wind can aid playing one nine and hinder the other.
LIV Golf have made much of how their events are played with shotgun starts. Up to a point, Lord Copper. In the final round the competitors are grouped in leaderboard order and the top six play the course from the first hole. Not all the competitors start at the same time, as the top 3 on the leaderboard start after all the rest, so as to allow two groups of three to start on the 1st hole.
Will it be Day's day?
Australian Jason Day has begun well. The 2015 PGA Champion drained a 30ft birdie putt on 2 and has added another birdie on the 3rd to go to level par. He was one of the runners up in last year's Open.
Tiger on the tee
He he gets a huge round of applause. How many more times we will see Tiger on the 1st tee in The Open? Indeed, could this even be the last time?
Group 16 all find the fairway off the 1st tee
This is the Woods-Cantlay-Schauffele combo.
Brooks Koepka drops a shot on the 1st
His second shot was plugged in a bunker pin high. He got out first time but this left him with a 28ft 9in par putt.
Siem's charge stalled
Having made bogey on the 9th, to spoil an otherwise faultless front nine, which included five birdies, on the back nine he's gone par-bogey-par.
Woods opens with a par
His third shot is a putt from off the green which ends level with the hole but 10 inches left of it. He finds the rough on the lefthand side with his shot off the 2nd tee however.
The weather should be more to Tiger's liking today. It is warmer and dryer and he is less bundled up against the elements than he was yesterday.
Lowry tees off
He looked as a he would be overnight leader until Daniel Brown over took him in the gathering gloom last night. Lowry's tee tea shot has found light rough.
Another dropped shot for Siem
That is three in the last five holes. He found off the rough the 13th tee and his approach went through the green a down into more rough. He chipped on and two putted.
Birdie chance for Lowry on 1
Lowry's shot from 112 yards out from the light rough leaves him with a nine-foot birdie putt.
Lowry makes that birdie
We have joint leaders, as he goes level with Daniel Brown on -6.
How the cut works here compared with the other Majors
The low 70 scorers and ties advance to the weekend of The Open. This the same policy as in the PGA Championship, which has the same field size. But the US Open, which also has the same field size - 156 - implements the cut after top 60. At The Masters, which has a much smaller field, it's the top 50.
Birdie chance for Lowry on 3
His approach from 147 yards leaves him with an 8ft putt. Hole that and he will go into the solo lead.
Lowry takes that birdie putt...
...and pushes it wide. He remains in the joint lead with Daniel Brown, who tees off at 11:04 a.m BST.
LIV qualifiers
With 18 representatives playing in the Open, it is the highest number of LIV players to tee it up in a Major this season. Two players, Abraham Ancer and Sam Horsfield, came through Final Qualifying and three through The Open Qualifying Series, which awards places based on performances in certain overseas events. At the Joburg Open, Dean Burmester took one of the three qualifying spots on offer there, and Joaquin Niemann earned one of the three places available at the Australian Open and John Catlin did so at the Malaysian Open.
Brooks Koepka and Dean Burmester are the highest LIV players on the leaderboard at present, in T11.
Having just typed that...
Burmester holes a birdie putt on the Postage Stamp for his third birdie in his past six holes and goes T4.
Quiz question
Who is it who played in The Open Championship 18 times and missed the cut on all but five of these occasions, but on one of these five occasions he went to win The Open?
Answer
Todd Hamilton. He first played The Open in 1992 and last played it in 2018. In his fourth Open appearance, in 2004, he won. His next best result was T32 in 2008.
He is off at 11.26, and will be playing alongside another former Open champion, in Justin Leonard, and Jack McDonald. McDonald is a Challenge Tour player who came into this Open through Final Qualifying at Dundonald Links, where Sam Hutsby also qualified. McDonald is 31 years old and ranked 971st in the world.
Siem round in 71
It's a level par second round for the German. Having gone out in 32 he will be disappointed by that. He made five birdies in his first eight holes. But from then on in it was a story of five bogeys and five pars.
Daniel Brown tees off
He uses driver on the 1st hie, which few have done. He finds the fairway.
Brown was the surprise leader after the first round, and he starts his second round in the joint lead. If you wish to know about him our colleague Matt Cradock has written a Things you didn't know about Daniel Brown. The thing this Leeds United supporter noticed was that Brown is a Yorkshireman yet supports Manchester United (as does Sir Geoffrey Boycott). Still, I won't hold that against him. Well, not too much anyway.
Why Woods and some high handicappers now have something in common
Watching Tiger Woods yesterday reminded me of a certain type of high handicap golfer, the one some unthinking people often shout 'bandit' at after a good shot. This high handicapper has a certain amount of ability at golf – and if they didn't, they probably still wouldn't be playing – so can play occasional very good shots and holes, and are often an excellent partner in a better ball competition as they tend to pop a few 3pts or a 4pts on their Stableford scorecard alongside several blobs.
Obviously the ability levels are incomparable between this player and Tiger Woods, but the pattern of scoring is similar. Tiger still remains retains the ability to play holes very well, but he just no longer has the ability to do so consistently. His round yesterday had two birdies on par 4s, but he was eight over par for his round. Tiger finished the day tied in 134th but none of the other golfers in this position had two birdies in their round; indeed, the majority had none at all.
Tiger has just made his first birdie of his second round, at the par-5 6th.
Darren Clarke out on 34
It could have been better for the 2011 Open Champion as he dropped a shot on the 9th. He is T76 and has an outside bet of making the cut now. But he will need a few more birdies. He made three in his first six holes.
Another former Open Champion, John Daly, has withdrawn so will not play today. Daly shot 82 yesterday.
Daniel Brown pars the 1st
He found a greenside bunker but chipped out to within three feet.
Woods saved by a sprinkler head
His tee shot at the Postage Stamp landed on the green and looked to be rolling towards the Coffin Bunker, but instead it falls into the hole created by a sprinkler head. He gets a free drop and a putt from off the green for birdie.
Forced tactics – aim for the rough
Matt Fitzpatrick has to chip out from a fairway bunker on the left of the 7th fairway away from the hole into the rough. This was caused by his ball's position in the bunker right up against the face.
Dean Burmester birdies 12
Having made bogey on the opening hole, he has added four birdies to go with seven pars to join Justin Thomas, who has yet to start his second round, in a tie for third place.
Hendry about to start his second round
A lot of people will be rooting for Michael Hendry who is about to start his second round. By finishing as runner up at the World City Championship on the Asian tour in March 2023, he had qualified for that year's Open Championship. But in May that year he had to take leave from golf while he was being treated for leukemia, so was unable to take up his place in the Open Championship. He spent six weeks in hospital undergoing chemotherapy during which he lost two-and-a-half stone. But he remained positive: “At no point did I think I wouldn’t play golf again. I’d made my mind up that, even if I was sick, I was going to try and play."
He has now been able to return to golf and indeed won the DVS Clearwater Open on the Charles Tour. The R&A gave him a special exemption invitation to this year's tournament based on his qualification for the 2023 Open which he was unable to take up.
The 44 year-old New Zealander has only played in The Open twice before, in 2017 and 2018, and both times he missed the cut. Can it be third time lucky?
“It was incredible,” said Hendry speaking after his first-round 74. “Words can’t really describe how grateful I am, not only to the R&A, but to all of the doctors and nurses who have helped me over the last 12 months. It was extremely special. This is one thing that really got me through my recovery. To finally be here and teeing it up was extremely special.”
But he also added: “I feel like this week hopefully will draw a line through that part of my life and I can move on."
Brown rescues par on 3
This is despite entering a fairway bunker from which he can only chip out a few yards down the course such is its depth. Brown has started par-par-par today.
Lowry into solo lead again
He does this by dint of draining his 10ft birdie putt on the Postage Stamp.
WATCH: LOWRY BIRDIES THE POSTAGE STAMP
A birdie at the Postage Stamp for our solo leader, Shane Lowry.Watch Shane's full round live on our Featured Groups:https://t.co/2VcoN8yyof pic.twitter.com/F4PxdlFY9rJuly 19, 2024
Two birdies in two days for Lowry on the 8th as he moves to -7.
DANIEL BROWN BOGEYS THE 4TH
After a wild tee shot, Daniel Brown drops his first shot of the day on the par 5 4th hole.
He drops to -5, meaning Lowry's lead is extended to two shots as the wind start to blow a little bit harder
BURMESTER DROPS A SHOT ON 14
It's only his second dropped shot of the day after a -2 front nine, but Sean Burmester misses a 10ft par putt on the 14th to drop to -1.
LOWRY PLAYS WONDERFUL APPROACH INTO THE 10TH
You can tell Lowry is fully in his element out there.
After drawing a fortunate lie in the rough where the spectators were standing, Lowry spins one into the green and finishes inside six feet.
He's got a great look to move to -8.
CANTLAY MOVES TO -2
Cantlay moves into the group at -2 after draining a 15ft putt on the railway hole - the 11th.
NO BIRDIE FOR LOWRY
It was a tentative stokre on a slippery birdie putt down the hill, but Lowry's effort slides by, kissing the right edge on the way past.
Missed opportunity for Shane.
LOWRY FINDS THE BUSHES ON 11
Disaster.
After driving into the right rough, Lowry pulls his second shot straight into the bushes.
He hits his provisional onto the green and will have about 15ft to save bogey...
BOGEY FOR SCHAUFFELE
After hooking his second shot wildly into the crowd left of the green on the 12th.
He fails to get up-and-down and falls to -1.
DRAMA ON THE 11TH
A fan has found Shane Lowry's ball in the middle of the bush on the 11th.
Ironically, Lowry likely didn't want it to be found seeing as his provisional is safely on the green.
He'll have to drop back in line with the flag and play his forth from there - wherever that may be. It could take a while, this...
NOREN FALLS TO -2
A lot of the field are beginning to drop shots, as Noren gives back the birdie he made on the 2nd with a bogey on the par 5 4th hole.
SPIETH FINDS THE RAILWAY TRACKS
Spieth. Railway. 🙁 pic.twitter.com/kGN6gfmEzNJuly 19, 2024
With the drama up ahead with Lowry, there's drama back on the tee courtesy of Jordan Spieth...
LOWRY BACK IN PLAY
After a lengthy debacle over finding, identifying and dropping the ball, Lowry plays his forth after taking his penalty drop and finishes just short of the green.
He's staring at a double bogey.
LOWRY MAKES DOUBLE
It took about 25 minutes to play that hole, but Lowry final taps in for double bogey on the 11th.
On the 10th green he had a six footer to move to -8, now he heads to the 12th tee at -5. Links golf, eh?
HERE COMES THE WIND!
Conditions are getting tougher. Join our Instagram broadcast channel to see these insights first.https://t.co/FhXtGO96zL pic.twitter.com/OiDdpcrtHWJuly 19, 2024
JUSTIN THOMAS UNDERWAY FOR ROUND 2
Back on the first, Thomas makes a routine par as he begins his friday round.
He's two back at -3.
JASON DAY POSTS 68
It's a -3 round for Day, who will sit at -1 for the tournament at the halfway stage.
SPIETH DERAILS ON 11
After finding the railway tracks off the tee, Spieth doubles the 11th.
He drops to +3.
STRESS-FREE PAR FOR LOWRY ON 12
Fairway hit. Green hit. Two putts.
Job done for Shane to steady the ship on the 12th.
THOMAS BOGEYS THE 2ND
A wayward drive put Justin Thomas behind the eight ball on the 2nd hole as he drops a shot to slide back to -2.
ANOTHER BOGEY FOR NOREN
The rough run for Noren continues as he drops another shot on the 6th hole to fall to +1.
Everyone is beginning to go backwards...
TIGER FINDS THE BURN ON 16
Sitting at +13, there's no hope he makes the cut, but Tiger is limping to the clubhouse after hitting a low stinger on the 16th which rolls all the way into the burn that runs through the middle of the fairway.
He's currently in a tie for 150th.
BROWN BOGEYS THE 9TH
It's a bogey for Daniel Brown on the difficult 9th hole as he drops to -4.
He awaits his first birdie of the day, but posts a respectable +2 score on his opening nine as the wind continues to blow.
ICYMI: LOWRY'S RULE DEBACLE ON THE 11TH
Check out our latest piece documenting all that happened with Shane Lowry on the 11th which eventually led to a double bogey.
PAR FOR LOWRY ON 14
It's a gutsy par for Shane on the 14th after he missed the green on the long par 3. He chipped to around 8ft before rolling in an important par putt.
SCHEFFLER FRUSTRATED ON THE GREENS
My favorite Scottie Scheffler reaction is when he lips out a putt and he looks like he just watched a deer get hit by a car. pic.twitter.com/TWmQ0LkgcgJuly 19, 2024
There has been a lot of these sort of reaction for the world no.1 through the first two days at Royal Troon.
His latest miss comes on the 13 as another birdie putt slides by.
He stays at -1.
JUSTIN ROSE BIRDIES, MOVES TO -3
Is this a man who can make a charge in the wind?
A birdie for Justin Rose breaks him out of the pack as he vaults to -3.
SCHEFFLER FINALLY FINDS A BIRDIE
And one hole later on the 14th, Scottie drains a long birdie putt. pic.twitter.com/KJOmN2cbdcJuly 19, 2024
A putt drops for Scheffler on 14 as he moves to -2.
He loved that one, as did the gallery.
HORROR START FOR THOMAS
Bogeys on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th holes means Justin Thomas will head the 5th tee at level par after starting the day in 2nd place.
LOWRY RETURNS TO -6 AFTER BIRDIE ON 16
A beautiful driving iron on the downwind par 5 finds the back edge of the green for Lowry.
He rolls his 50ft putt to tap-in range and will regain the solo lead.
CANTLAY FINISHES THE DAY AT -1 AFTER POSTING 68
Cantlay shoots -3 on day two to finish alongside playing partner Xander Schauffele at -1 for the tournament, currently five shots behind Shane Lowry.
WOODS SHOOTS 77, MISSES CUT
Rounds of 79 and 77 mean Tiger Woods finishes well outside of the cutline.
Will we see Tiger at The Open next year? His comments yesterday suggest we will, but we shall see.
LOWRY ALMOST DRAINS MONSTER BIRDIE PUTT ON 17
Lowry had his putter raised in celebration as his 40ft birdie putt looked destined to drop on 17, but it slides by at the last second!
WATCH: TIGER'S RECEPTION ON THE 18TH
Tiger soaks in appreciation from the crowd.An all-time great. pic.twitter.com/FelmbRRahqJuly 19, 2024
Troon rises to thank a legend of the game.
Unfortunately, Woods needed 156 shots to get around through 2 rounds at The Open. It ties the highest 36-hole sum of his major career (2015 U.S. Open).
ANOTHER BIRDIE FOR SCHEFFLER
Scheffler makes a stress-free birdie on the 16th to move to -3, just three shots behind Lowry.
LOWRY BRIDIES 18!
A huge roar greets Lowry's 20ft birdie putt on the last dropping into the bottom of the cup on the 18th!
What a round from Lowry, he shoots 69 and shows serious resilience after a double bogey on the 11th to move to -7.
He leads by two from Daniel Brown and four from Scottie Scheffler.
TRAIN PASSENGER SNEAKS A PEAK AT ROYAL TROON
Watching The Open anyway you can... pic.twitter.com/BwN1sVoBqCJuly 19, 2024
And the award for best photo of the week goes to....
LOWRY'S SCORECARD AFTER POSTING 69 ON DAY TWO
Here's how Lowry put together an impressive round two as he will almost certainly take the lead into the weekend.
WATCH: LOWRY'S BIRDIE ON 18
A birdie on the 18th to record a 69 and become the leader in the clubhouse. pic.twitter.com/6BqhWAmpErJuly 19, 2024
This is how to end your second round at Royal Troon. Another great day from the 2019 champion.
JUSTIN ROSE MOVES TO -4
He booked his ticket via the qualifiers, but Justin Rose is impressing the galleries so far this week.
He's now -2 thru seven holes and -4 for the tournament as he heads to the Postage Stamp 8th hole.
SCHEFFLER CLOSES WITH DISAPPOINTING BIRDIE
The world no.1 will be deflated after a bogey on the final hole, but it's a 2nd round score of 70 for the American.
He finishes the day at -2 for the tournament, five shots back from Lowry.
DANIEL BROWN CONTINUES TO PLUG AWAY
A comfy par for Brown keeps him at -5, +1 for the day.
A lot of players would have crumbled in Brown's position, leading The Open overnight, but he's done excellently today to stay in the hunt.
MCILROY BEGINS HIS SECOND ROUND
It's likely the cut could slip to as much as +6, so Rory McIlory has some work to do to make the weekend at Royal Troon.
He smashes a driver down the first to begin his second round alongside Tyrell Hatton and Max Homa.
JUSTIN THOMAS IS FALLING APART AS MACINTYRE STRUGGLES
JT has played from the 2nd to the 7th hole in +6. He's just scrambled successfully out of a bunker on the Postage Stamp to stop the bleeding for now.
Scottish Open champion Robert MacIntyre is also having a rotten time, triple bogeying the first before bogeying the second. He's fallen to +5.
THE WIND IS HOWLING AT ROYAL TROON
Consistent winds of 30mph are blowing now at Troon, expect some fireworks this afternoon but likely not too many changes to the top of the leaderboard.
THE NUMBERS BEHIND TIGER WOODS' 2024 MAJOR SEASON
The stats don't lie.
He's vowed to come back stronger next year, but what are realistic expectations for Tiger for 2025?
JUSTIN THOMAS' NIGHTMARE CONTINUES
Checking in on JT. pic.twitter.com/QU4u7gPUkWJuly 19, 2024
He was -3 about two hours ago, he's now +6.
Thomas has played the opening nine holes in nine-over-par.
MACTINYRE STARTS 7, 5, 5, 8
Horror start for Bob as he plays the opening four holes in a staggering eight-over-par.
Expect plenty of high scores as the afternoon rolls on with the wind only strengthening.
BOGEY FOR MCILROY ON THE 2ND
Rory drives into the left rough before flying the green on the 2nd.
He hits a nice bump and run shot to around 12ft but fails to make the cut as he falls to +8. He has plenty of work to do to make the cut on an afternoon that birdies will be at a premium.
DANIEL BROWN DROPS A SHOT ON THE 17TH
An 8ft par putt for Brown misses on the high side as he makes bogey on the par 3.
He gives back the birdie he gained on the 16th as he sits at -5.
He has the downwind 18th to play before he can go sign his card, put his feet up and watch the afternoon wave struggle in the winds.
ROSE FINDS THE SAND ON THE 12TH
Justin Rose, stunningly, is bogey-free thru 29 holes in the wind at Royal Troon.
He has work to do to extend that to 30 after finding the pot bunker to the front right of the 12th green.
DANIEL BROWN CARDS SECOND ROUND 72
Really, really impressive.
Daniel Brown could well be in the final group on Saturday at The Open Championship after shooting a one-over-par 72 on Friday.
A great score given the pressure coupled with the tricky conditions.
ROSE BOGEY-FREE RUN ENDS
Rose fails to get up-and-down from the sand on the 12th and makes his first bogey of the tournament.
He drops to -3 but remains in solo third.
TRIPLE BOGEY FOR MCILROY
It's an eight for Rory on the 4th, or as the Americans sometimes call it - 'a snowman'.
His drive went left into thick rough and he failed to get out with his first attempt. He then missed the green left with his 4th shot, chipped into a bunker with his fifth before missing a short putt for his double bogey.
Rory will miss the cut barring a miraculous comeback.
THOMAS CHIPS IN ON THE 12TH!
After going out in 45, JT adds a birdie on the 12th to one on the 10th as he chips in from behind a bunker.
That helps him get inside the projected cut line as it stands.
NIEMANN MAKES QUINTUPLE BOGEY ON THE POSTAGE STAMP
The perils of the Postage Stamp.Watch the drama unfold here on the Par-3 channel:https://t.co/5iPQIT2nXJ pic.twitter.com/fLEtUAu0PJJuly 19, 2024
Yikes.
It's an eight for Joaquin Niemann on the 120-yard par 3 8th hole.
He plummets from T7 and -1 to a tie for 46th place at +4.
HIGH SCORES THE STORY OF THE AFTERNOON AT ROYAL TROON
The perils of the Postage Stamp.Watch the drama unfold here on the Par-3 channel:https://t.co/5iPQIT2nXJ pic.twitter.com/fLEtUAu0PJJuly 19, 2024
Japanese player Aguri Iwasaki shot +3 on day one.
He then shot +4 on the front nine today.
On the back nine? +17. Yup, +17.
He carded back to back NINES on the 13th and 14th holes on his way to shooting a 91 in round two, +23 for the tournament...
CONDITIONS GETTING THE BEST OF PLAYERS AT TROON
Another jaw dropping stat:
Current number of players on the course under par: 3
ICYMI: THOMAS CHIPS IN ON THE 12TH
A difficult start for Justin Thomas, but this chip-in will certainly help. pic.twitter.com/YYjnFtKIDzJuly 19, 2024
LOWRY JOKES IN HIS POST ROUND PRESSER
https://t.co/8VlX8qpJXX pic.twitter.com/wRzWeJ61OTJuly 19, 2024
As the players in the afternoon wave have a torrid time in the wind, leader Shane Lowry has been cracking jokes (at his expense) with journalists at his press conference.
MCILROY'S STUGGLES CONTINUE
Rory hit this shot HERE pic.twitter.com/yRmCDaYxBkJuly 19, 2024
Thanks to No Laying Up's Chris Solomon for this graphic, meaning I don't have to attempt to explain how badly McIlroy missed the green with 8 iron in hand on the 6th hole.
His yardage? 93 yards.
GRAPHICS DOCUMENT NIEMANN'S 8 ON THE POSTAGE STAMP
Joaquin Niemann experienced it all on the 8th. pic.twitter.com/D4Ma3WllkFJuly 19, 2024
JON RAHM MAKES UNIQUE BIRDIE ON THE 9TH
What a read.Jon Rahm chips in for his first birdie of the day on the 9th. pic.twitter.com/59wfL50tA9July 19, 2024
Rahm missed the fairway with his drive before seemingly topping his second shot.
From around 40 yards with his third shot... he holes it!
He plays the front nine in an impressive even par.
WORST SCORE PER HOLE TODAY AT TROON
Gosh. 62 out/62 back for the worst ball eclectic.@JustinRayGolf doing great work for Sky Sports this week. pic.twitter.com/tgKB9VCk6UJuly 19, 2024
Whoever at Sky Sports Golf put this scorecard together - you are evil.
Thank you, though.
JUSTIN ROSE FINDS THE GREEN ON 17
Rose, who is somehow -2 for the day, finds the safety of the 17th green.
It's playing dead downwind, with Justin hitting a 6 iron into the 235 yard hole.
He's now at -4 after birdie on the 16th.
ROSE INCHES FROM AMAZING BIRDIE!
So, so close for Justin Rose!
His 25ft birdie putt takes a sharp left turn away from the hole just as it seems destined to drop on the 17th!
DECHAMBEAU CHIPS IN ON THE 9TH
Bryson finishes his front nine with a chip-in birdie to put him back inside the cut line. pic.twitter.com/MS7L513SiGJuly 19, 2024
No equipment related problems today for Bryson as he chips in for birdie to finish his front nine!
He sits at +6 as he battles to make the cut.
ROSE ABOARD THE 18TH GREEN
He'll be disappointed at the length he'll have for his birdie putt, but Justin Rose is safely aboard the 18th green and will have a 40ft putt to get to -5.
ROSE BIRDIES THE 18TH
Some noise as Justin Rose delights the crowd at the 18th 🌹😍 pic.twitter.com/Fa1YY4zvkAJuly 19, 2024
WOW WHAT A ROUND OF GOLF FROM JUSTIN ROSE!
He holes his long range birdie putt on the 18th to card an unbelievable 68.
He jumps to -5 and into a tie for second.
He only has one bogey thru the first 36 holes of the tournament!
ROSE LEAPS INTO 2ND
Just the one blemish in an otherwise perfect round for Justin Rose.
DRAMA AT EITHER END OF LEADERBOARD
That putt of Rose's on the 18th was from all of 41 feet on the 18th and draws him level with Daniel Brown on five-under-par in second place. The popular Englishman is now in contention for the first time in nine years. While at the other end of the leaderboard, the cut is currently at six-over-par which means the likes of Robert MacIntyre, Bryson DeChambeau and Tommy Fleetwood are all in a fight to stay for the weekend.
JUSTIN THOMAS GRINDS HIS WAY TO THE WEEKEND
You would have got long odds on Justin Thomas making the weekend when he was +9 at the turn for his round after a triple bogey on the ninth. But the American former Major winner came home in -2 and is +4 in total as he continues to battle to rediscover his best form again to his credit.
MacINTYRE MAKES GUTSY PAR SAVE ON 12TH
MacIntyre, fresh from his Scottish Open win, has just made a gutsy par save on the 12th where he got up and down from an awkward lie in a bunker. Playing partner Tommy Fleetwood dropped another shot though. They are +8 and +7 respectively as they fight to make the weekend.
SOME BIG NUMBERS IN RORY AND HATTON'S GROUP
Rory McIlroy is a painful watch today after reaching the turn at +6 to be +13 in total. He is certain to miss the cut and his playing partner Tyrrell Hatton is going to have a battle too after a penalty drop on the 12th after hitting a provisional from the tee. He does well to escape with a bogey to slip to +3 in total.
Joaquin NIEMANN has plenty of guts
The Chilean, who has been starring on LIV, reached the turn at +4 for the round after an eight on the par 3 Postage Stamp. But he has picked up four shots with birdies on 10,12,14 & 15, where he has just putted in from off the green. He is now back to even par in total.
ROSE SPEAKS TO THE PRESS AFTER HIS SUPERB 68
Qualifier Justin Rose, who drained a huge birdie putt on 18 to be tied second on -5, said: "I was aware of scores around me , so I knew it was tough and I was doing some good work. On the 18th, you never think you are going to make that putt but I felt I had a nice feel of how it was going to go over that ridge. I knew I was due a couple. Now I want to try and use my experience when it counts and get my head around what the test is going to be this week."
Justin Rose is right in the mix going into the weekend after 'perfect' birdie at the last 🏆⏳ pic.twitter.com/2DxMLg34OsJuly 19, 2024
CALUM SCOTT IS THE LEADING AMATEUR
Calum Scott is the leading amateur by one shot at +4 from Jacob Skov Olesen and Tommy Morrison. He said: "Obviously the Silver Medal would be nice. That's probably the intention. I think Saturday and Sunday we'll see what the weather looks like, but I think two good scores and we can move up that leaderboard."
12th hole is a complete nightmare for Hatton and Homa
A few players like Bryson DeChambeau and last year's Open champion Brian Harman look like they are raging as they continue to drop shots. It also won't be long before Tyrrell Hatton goes ballistic at this rate as he makes a double bogey on the 12th and appears to point repeatedly at someone in the crowd or maybe a spot where he had a bad lie before chipping across the green. Max Homa is now +8 after a seven on the par 4 12th.
MacIntyre delights home fans with birdie on 15
Big cheers for Bob MacIntyre after he rolls in a much-needed birdie on the 15th which gets him back to +7 with three to play and gives a chance of getting inside the cut with those on +6 all inside the cut.
RAHM FOUGHT BACK BUT IS IN BURN ON 16
Former world No.1 Jon Rahm is -2 for his round and even par for the tournament but has just driven into the burn on the par 5 16th after successive birdies. That is a big blow as the 16th and 18th are the only holes playing under par today. He takes a penalty drop , goes over the back in three, chips back and has a par putt....which he misses to slip to +1 in total.
CHEERS ...PERHAPS IN SYMPATHY...FOR McILROY'S FIRST BIRDIE
Rory McIlroy has made his first birdie putt of the day - sparking huge cheers and a rueful smile from the man himself as his bunker shot goes in. But his two on the par 3 14th gets means he is +12 so it is largely irrelevant as McIlroy won't be here this weekend.
A fighter till the end.Rory McIlroy holes out from the bunker on the 14th. pic.twitter.com/tvKsypLVuLJuly 19, 2024
FRONT LEFT BUNKER ON 17 PROVING POPULAR
Jon Rahm gone into the front left bunker on the par 3 penultimate hole. It is bang on the line at about 200 yards out for those looking to cut a shot into the flag. Rahm has executed a fine sand shot though and he escapes with a par to stay +1 in total and -1 for today in tied 14th.
BOB MAC giving the locals something to cheer
Robert MacIntyre is a fighter - we all know that. And it appears Royal Troon will not be stopping him from making the cut. He has just completed back to back birdies after taking advantage of the par 5 16th before getting up and down at the 17th to head up the last inside the cut at +5. He has then wedged on to the last to have a birdie putt from 24 feet and has putted up close for par. He will make the weekend but Tommy Fleetwood is going home on +9. He earlier dropped eight shots in the first four holes but four birdies in the final 12 means he has made the cut.
What a day MacIntyre is having! Back-to-back birdies! 🐦🐦 pic.twitter.com/cmSXXeaPhjJuly 19, 2024
BIG NAMES IN LOSING BATTLE TO MAKE CUT
Six-under looks like the safe score inside the cut for the players left out on course which leaves the likes of Tom Kim, Bryson DeChambeau, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland and Max Homa all currently heading home when they finish their round. Bryson is +9 heading up the last with playing partner Aberg +8 and Kim +11.
TOO LITTLE TOO LATE FROM McIlroy
Another birdie from Rory on the 16th, getting him back to +4 for the day and +11 in total. However his stroke play has seen him ranked 128th here and his putting 130th this week at Troon and he will miss the cut. Another big-name on his way is Bryson who has finished +9.
NIEMANN DISCUSSES HIS HORROR SHOW ON THE POSTAGE STAMP
Joaquin Niemann posted a quintuple bogey eight on the par-3 Postage Stamp at Royal Troon after finding three separate bunkers on the hole. He fought back to finish even par and tied 11th. He reflected: "The par 3 was playing pretty tough with the wind off the left. I just tried to recover from that and I knew birdies would come."
LAST YEAR'S CHAMPION BRIAN HARMAN MAKES CUT
Last year's winner Harman is through to the weekend despite being made to sweat. He eventually finishes +4 in total with a birdie at the last but playing partners Viktor Hovland and Sahith Theegala are going home after carding +10 and +14 respectively.
TRIO OF BIG NAMES HEAD UP THE LAST AS HOMA'S MAKES CUT
Any fans following Rory McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton and Max Homa have certainly seen plenty of shots - and not necessarily good ones. Homa and Hatton are both +7 and need a birdie to stick around at the weekend. Homa drains his from 28 feet to ecstatic relief to complete two birdies in his last three holes. He will stay this weekend but playing partners Hatton and McIlroy are heading home.
This is what is means. @Maxhoma with a birdie on the last to keep his Open dream alive. Clutch. pic.twitter.com/kGQhKcKNciJuly 19, 2024
RAHM SPEAKS TO THE PRESS AFTER -1 ROUND
Rahm, who is +1 in total, said: "It was a bit of survival to try and minimise the damage on the front nine. My round turned around with my three on the ninth which could have been a five or a six. On the back nine I hit a lot of quality shots."
MacIntyre reflects on his turnaround to make the cut to a big ovation
MacIntyre dropped eight shots in the first four holes today before four birdies in the final 12 means he has made the cut at five-over-par. He admitted: "My head started to go after my eighth on the fourth. We just had to stick in and the attitude was to break 80 after the start but once we got a bit of momentum it was free-flowing again. I could have let that get away from me and it could have been embarrassing. But I didn't want to let the fans down and I was going to fight until the end. That walk down 18 was what dreams are made of."
TOP STAT ALERT!
For the first time since 1951, the top three at the halfway stage of The Open are all from Ireland or the United Kingdom. pic.twitter.com/o1jH6dhaP3July 19, 2024
HOMA REFLECTS ON HIS BIRDIE AT THE LAST TO HAVE A CHANCE OF MAKING WEEKEND
Homa, who hopes his +6 total leaves him inside the cut, said: "It felt really good. I haven't had a lot of good moments this year. But I love this golf tournament and hope I get two more days. I am stoked to have a chance tomorrow. I think it tests you mentally and physically."
McILROY ADMITS HE NEEDS TO IMPROVE HIS PLAY IN THE WIND
McIlroy, who missed the cut on +11, said: "After my eight on four, I resigned myself to that I wouldn't be here this weekend. Over the two days the condition got the better of me. These windy conditions have got the better of me in two Majors this year now and it is something I am maybe going to have to address in future."
