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Shane Lowry was hit with a two-shot penalty after the ball moved as he lined up a shot - Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
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Through all the chaos, the angst and a sizeable dollop of controversy emerged the calm and ominous figure of Scottie Scheffler to assert his mastery and take the halfway lead at the 153rd Open Championship.
The world No 1’s 64 was the lowest of a second round in which Royal Portrush veered from sunshine to monsoon and back again. On 10 under, he is only one stroke ahead of Yorkshire’s Matt Fitzpatrick, but even though the gap is small, so, too, are the odds on the mighty Texan winning his second major of the season.
Shane Lowry, his playing partner, will not be winning a second Claret Jug in this town. That much seems certain. The Irishman, who so thrilled the island with his fairy-tale Open success six years ago, was hit with a two-stroke penalty, turning his 70 into a 72 and taking him back to level par.
In confusing scenes, Lowry was told on the 15th that the sanction may be coming after an incident on the 12th. With his ball in the rough, Lowry put his club face behind the ball, before removing it and making a practice swing.
At the end of their round, Lowry, together with Scheffler and Collin Morikawa, the other member of the threeball, were shown the infraction on the screens in the recorder’s hut and after a near 20-minute review Lowry reluctantly accepted his fate.
On the slow-motion replay it was obvious the ball rolled backwards a few millimetres, but Lowry insisted he was looking at the ball at the time and did not see it move. The rule says that if it is not visible in real time to the naked eye and the player could not have known, then there is no penalty.
“If you don’t see it moving, it didn’t move,” Lowry said. “I told them I definitely was looking down towards the ball as I was taking that practice swing, and I didn’t see it move. I think they had it in their heads the ball moved, I caused it to move and it’s a two-shot penalty. They only had one camera angle, which was zoomed in at the ball. They had none of me actually full length, which we were looking for and needed.”
When asked if he felt it “unfair”, he replied: “But if the ball moved and I caused it to move and it moved, it’s a two-shot penalty. The last thing I want to do is sit there and argue and not take the penalty and then get slaughtered all over social media tonight for being a cheat.”
Scheffler felt for the world No 18. “It’s frustrating for me as a competitor of his to watch him have to deal with that because the last thing you want to be known in the game is as somebody who cheats,” he said. “It was a very tough situation for Shane to be put in, and I thought he handled it really well.”
Lowry was not happy with his lot even before the rules rumpus. After hitting one wayward drive he shouted “f--- this place, f--- this place”. He shouted the same at the USPGA and the US Open, but nobody expected him to repeat this curse at the course where he tasted his finest moment. How quickly the sport can bring you down.
It was in stark contrast to Scheffler’s serenity. So much for Scheffler’s Kryptonite being the links challenge. He looked born to the seaside game on a day when he posted eight birdies and just the one bogey. The 29-year-old began just when the heavens opened with an almighty downpour. No matter he birdied that first anyway and then, as Mother Nature slowly turned down the tap, snapped into cruise control.
This is how Scheffler does it. He does not charge so much as inexorably pull clear. He birdied three in a row from the fifth and after a few more, birdied the 16th and 17th as well to ensure that he would sleep on the outright advantage, so denying Fitzpatrick a slice of history.
When the 30-year-old signed for his 66, he appeared highly likely to become England’s first halfway leader at an Open this century. Of course, he is aiming for a more lasting legacy by becoming the first Englishman to win this tournament in 33 years. Fitzpatrick will go out in the last group with Scheffler on Saturday, but claims all the pressure will be on the pacesetter.
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Scottie Scheffler was a model of serenity as he claimed the outright lead on 10 under - Glyn Kirk/AFP
“He’s going to have the expectation to go out and dominate,” Fitzpatrick said. “Scottie’s an exceptional player. He’s world No 1 and what we’ve seen from him over the last few years is Tiger-like stuff. I think the pressure is for him to win the golf tournament. For me, obviously, I hope I’m going to have some more home support than him, but it’s an exciting position for me to be in, given where I was earlier this year.”
Fitzpatrick fell out of the world’s top 80 after peaking at No 6 in the wake of his US Open glory in 2022. His return to form since April has been rousing, with his tie for fourth at last week’s Scottish Open the latest indication that he was back in the groove.
He has rediscovered his rhythm and his short game is incredibly sharp. His 30-footer on the 18th made up for the tiddler on the 17th and kept him ahead of 2023 winner Brian Harman (65) and China’s Haotong Li (67) on eight under. There are three further shots back to a group in fifth on five under, including another Englishman in Tyrrell Hatton (69) and Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre, with Rory McIlroy on three under after a 69.
08:57 PM BST
Scottie Scheffler (-10) talking to Sky Sports
08:44 PM BST
The thoughts of Matt Fitzpatrick (-9)
On going out in the last pair with Scottie Scheffler:
08:40 PM BST
Wayne Riley on Sky Sports
08:34 PM BST
Cut watch
It is currently projected to be at one over, with a few groups still out on the course. Here are some of the names set to miss out:
+2: Joaquin Niemann, Jason Day, Ryan Fox
+3: Zach Johnson, Tom Kim, Tom McKibbin, Patrick Cantlay
+5: Patrick Reed
+6: Louis Oosthuizen, Darren Clarke
+7: Brooks Koepka, Collin Morikawa
08:28 PM BST
Scheffler leads going into the weekend
His birdie putt on the last comes just up short but a par ends a sublime round of 64, seven under for the day and 10 under for the tournament, one shot clear of Fitzpatrick. Those two will form the final group out tomorrow. The world No 1 demonstrating just how good he is.
08:26 PM BST
Huge ovation
It is a terrific reception for Lowry as he comes to the 18th green, which he has found with his second. His long birdie putt is not far off making the hole but he will finish with a par. He heads into the third round on two under after a one-under round of 70, like yesterday.
Morikawa’s week is over as he finishes up on seven over. He does not make the cut. Over to the world No 1...
08:23 PM BST
The thoughts of home man Tom McKibbin (+3)
08:22 PM BST
Chris Gotterup (-5) speaking to Sky Sports
08:20 PM BST
Rahm, Schauffele and Spaun finish
Rahm has seven feet for par but it slides past the left side of the hole so he will head into the third round on even par.
Schauffele has a tricky putt to save his par but it misses by the left edge. That bogey drops the defending champion to two under.
Spaun is the only one with a genuine birdie chance but it narrowly misses. He taps in for par and is at even par going into the weekend.
08:13 PM BST
Up on 18
The defending champion Schaueffele cannot find the green with his approach as it rolls down the left side, suffering the same fate as Rahm. Spaun though does find the putting surface.
The Scheffler, Lowry, Morikawa group is on the 18th tee.
08:08 PM BST
New solo leader!
How has Scheffler done that? He takes the birdie opportunity on 17 and improves to ten under, one shot clear at the top of the leaderboard.
Lowry cannot sink his birdie effort and remains at two under.
08:08 PM BST
So close to a hole-in-one
At the par-three 16th, where Canadian Corey Conners is agonisingly close to a hole-in-one. He is right on the cut bubble and that birdie takes him to one over, just inside as it stands.
Meanwhile up ahead on the 17th...
08:05 PM BST
Great escape
It is a lucky break for Scheffler on 17 and, as a big crowd huddles around the world No 1, he plays a sublime second shot, finding the green and giving him an outside chance of a birdie.
08:02 PM BST
Rahm bounces back
After a bogey on 16, the Spaniard immediately hits back with a birdie on 17 to get back to one under.
Playing alongside him is the US Open champion Spaun, who has now dropped three shots on five holes to drop back to even par.
07:58 PM BST
Fore Right!
Scheffler is on the elevated tee box at 17 and it leaks out to the right. He may be slightly fortunate though that it has landed on a walkway where people have been going over all day, rather than the thick stuff.
07:53 PM BST
New co-leader
Scheffler took a while over his birdie putt on 16 but sinks it to join Fitzpatrick on nine under with two to play.
07:52 PM BST
How has that not dropped?
Lowry has a lengthy birdie putt on 16 that for all money looks destined for the hole but somehow hangs over the edge, without dropping, a little like Justin Thomas had earlier.
Time for Scheffler to step up to see if he can join Fitzpatrick on nine under...
07:47 PM BST
Fitzpatrick finishes with a clutch par
Our leader is at the last and his approach goes to the left of the green. His chip on is not his best and he has a task here to retain his solo lead. In the last 50 years, Nick Faldo is the only English player to lead at the halfway stage of an Open Championship.
It is more than 20 feet away from the pin but the Yorkshireman drains it to save his par. Clutch from Fitzpatrick and he ends his second round on nine under after a five-under round of 66.
Fox, after missing out on the eagle, gets his birdie to move to two over but has a nervous wait to see if he makes the weekend.
07:42 PM BST
Bogey for Rahm
The Spaniard’s par putt on 16 slides by the hole and he drops to even par.
07:41 PM BST
Update on Lowry investigation
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07:41 PM BST
Birdie for Lowry
The home crowd are joyous in this late Friday sunshine. He rolls in the birdie putt on 15 to improve to two under.
Up on 18 Fox nearly holes out with his second but it does not drop. That would have been an eagle for the New Zealander, which would have taken him from three over to one over. He is currently just outside the cut and that would have been amazing for him had it gone in.
07:36 PM BST
Down the last
Our leader Fitzpatrick is coming down 18, one shot clear on nine under.
Back on 15 Scheffler, in a tie for second, has missed the green with his approach.
07:32 PM BST
Bogey for Spaun
He will be kicking himself for that. He has an outside chance of a birdie on 15 but it is a three-putt from the US Open champion, dropping him back to one under.
07:26 PM BST
Fitzpatrick somehow does not extend lead
That is a brilliantly played hole by our leader, up until the final moment. His drive on the par-four 17th is blasted, rolling down the hill and going an absolute mile. He is left with just a 50-yard chip, which he executes to perfection, leaving him a short putt for birdie. Fitzpatrick has a very unique way of playing chips around the green as he inverts his hands and has his dominant right hand on top rather than on the bottom. He has spoken about doing it in drills and feeling comfortable doing it. Each to their own!
However he manages to miss the birdie putt from just three feet away. I cannot believe it!
07:23 PM BST
On the 14th green
All three of Morikawa, Lowry and Scheffler find the green and have chances of a birdie. Even with a birdie, Morikawa is a long shot to make the weekend and he cannot make the birdie putt.
Scheffler is next up to try and make birdie, which is just under 14 feet from the pin. It slides past the right edge.
Lowry is last up, his the closest to the hole; 10ft 8in to be exact. He too cannot drain the birdie putt.
07:13 PM BST
How did that not go in?
The defending champion Schauffele made three straight birdies to start his back nine and looks destined to make it four straight but somehow the ball goes in and out of the hole on 14 so he has to settle for a par and remains at two under.
07:08 PM BST
Birdie for Scheffler
A fantastic tee shot on the par-three 12th sets up the birdie for the world No 1, who improves to eight under, joining Li and Harman at that mark and just one off the lead.
07:07 PM BST
So unlucky
Matthew Jordan looks destined to sink a long birdie putt on the last but it goes around the hole and out. He ends the second round on two under after a one-over round of 72.
07:06 PM BST
Leader at Calamity Corner
Fitzpatrick is at the par-three 16th, which was dramatic for him yesterday, as he chipped in for birdie going down the sharp decline. This time though he safely finds the green.
06:58 PM BST
Lowry under investigation?
The officials may be taking a look at whether when the Irishman was stood over the ball in the rough not long ago the ball moved. Watching the replays it is hard to tell if it moved and if I had to guess I do not think it did. You have to be able to see it move with the naked eye with no zoomed-in images so I think Lowry will be ok.
06:56 PM BST
Chance of a birdie
It is an outside one for our leader for Fitzpatrick on 15 but it comes up just short, perhaps due to the greens being slowed down by the rain.
One man who does make birdie though is the defending champion Schauffele on 13. Three straight birdies for the current Champion Golfer of the Year and he is now two under.
06:49 PM BST
Rain eased off
The ever-changing conditions have shifted once more and the rain is seemingly passing as most of the umbrellas have come down.
The sun is now bursting through again.
06:44 PM BST
Westwood finishes up
The 52-year-old looked at risk of dropping a shot on the last but he drains a lengthy par putt to remain at three under. It is a one-under round of 70 for the man who finished in second at The Open in 2010; his best finish at this tournament.
06:42 PM BST
Bogey for Fitzpatrick
Moments after Scheffler drops a shot on 11, so does Fitzpatrick on 14. That ends a run of four straight birdies and means his lead is cut in half to one.
06:40 PM BST
Gotterup finishes up
The winner of the Scottish Open last week has carried his good from into this week. It is a six-under round of 65 and he heads into the weekend on five under.
06:38 PM BST
Bogeys for Scheffler and Lowry
That hole for the world No 1 and the Irishman proves just how important accuracy off the tee is. Both tee shots went into some thick rough to the left of the fairway and they end up with bogeys, which drops Scheffler back to seven under and Lowry to one under.
I hate to bring up pace of play again but the Scheffler/ Morikawa/ Lowry group teed off nearly three and a half hours ago and they have played just 11 holes!
06:31 PM BST
Coping with these conditions
This latest burst of rain could be set in for a little while so how everyone adjusts is vital.
To show how wet it is, as soon as Burns played his tee shot on the par-three 12th he immediately shot off to his right to get back under his umbrella!
06:20 PM BST
Fore Left!
Scheffler is wayward off the tee on 11 and Lowry follows him, going even further left. A bit of fruity language leaves Lowry’s mouth as he cannot believe it did not come back right. “Don’t go left!” is the first bit out of Lowry’s mouth, the next I cannot repeat!
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06:18 PM BST
More rain!
The showers have returned and the umbrellas go straight back up. I think the fans at Royal Portrush are getting used to putting their umbrellas up and then taking them down. Once again it is hammering down.
The players are going to have to adjust to the change of speed of the greens. This latest downpour is going to slow down play even more.
06:16 PM BST
Hotting up at the top
Here is how the summit of the leaderboard is looking:
- Fitzpatrick -10 (13)
- Harman (F), Li (F), Scheffler (10) -8
06:13 PM BST
Keeping Fitzpatrick honest
Whilst the Yorkshireman is on fire, so is Scheffler, who makes a birdie on the tenth and joins Li and Harman on eight under, tow behind Fitzpatrick.
06:13 PM BST
Extending his lead
Four straight birdies to start the back nine for Fitzpatrick and the Yorkshireman is flying. That was set up by a stunning tee shot on the par-three 12th and he moves two clear on ten under.
06:12 PM BST
Not to be
Former Champion Golfer of the Year Darren Clarke will not make the cut as he finishes up on six over. A big cheer though from his home crowd around the 18th green.
06:00 PM BST
New solo leader!
All eyes on the 12th. Fitzpatrick has gone birdie, birdie, birdie at 10, 11 and 12 to move to nine under and he is now in sole possession of the lead.
05:58 PM BST
Li finishes up
He nearly rolls in a birdie putt but he has to settle for a par. It is a four-under round of 67 and he joins Harman in the clubhouse at eight under.
D Johnson birdies the last and he heads into the weekend at even par.
05:57 PM BST
Scheffler hits the turn
A par on the ninth for the American sees him hit the halfway stage of his second round at seven under, one off the leaders.
Meanwhile up on the 18th...
05:53 PM BST
The thoughts of Nicolai Hojgaard (-4)
05:48 PM BST
Trouble for Rahm
It felt like the Spaniard was hacking his way down the ninth, going from thick rough to thick rough but he does manage to walk away with just a bogey. It is consecutive bogeys for Rahm and he drops back to one under.
05:45 PM BST
Tommy Fleetwood on X
05:41 PM BST
The rain is back
The coat hoods and umbrellas are going back up.
05:40 PM BST
New co-leader
A new man has joined Harman and Li on eight under. After a sublime approach to the 11th green, Fitzpatrick rolls in the birdie putt and moves into a tie for the lead.
Up on the 17th Li had the chance to take the solo lead on -9 but his birdie putt just misses. On that same green D Johnson does get a birdie putt to move to one over as he fights to make the weekend, which he looks like he might.
05:39 PM BST
Scheffler misses chance to join leaders
On the eighth green the world No 1 stands over a birdie putt but he cannot sink it. He stays at seven under.
Morikawa nearly pulls off an audacious chip to counter a slope that nearly comes off but not quite. He is dropping further away from the projected cut line but will need an awesome back nine to make the weekend.
05:32 PM BST
14th difficulty
Gotterup came into this week off the back of victory at the Scottish Open last week and has been ticking along nicely over these first few days. He went to the 14th on five under but his third shot on the par four is sloppy, which results in a bogey for the American and he drops to four under. It just shows you can be playing well but get slightly out of position and be in a spot of bother.
Those dark clouds I mentioned have rolled in and it is quite dark around certain parts of the course. That sunshine I mentioned, that has disappeared.
05:22 PM BST
Joining Scheffler at seven under
The world No 1 has company at -7 as Fitzpatrick rolls in a birdie putt on the 10th.
05:21 PM BST
Scheffler continues his charge
Three birdies in a row, the latest coming on the par-five seventh, takes the world No 1 to seven under and he is now just one shot off the lead. Ominous signs.
Lowry cannot take his birdie chance and remains at two under.
05:18 PM BST
Challenge to make the cut
One man who may not make the weekend is the 2021 Open champion Morikawa, who is at four over. He did miss the cut at the next two Open Championships but finished in a tie for 16th at Troon a year ago. His best finish at the majors this year was a tie for 14th at The Masters.
05:14 PM BST
Change of conditions
Royal Portrush has experienced many different seasons this afternoon. Torrential rain has now been replaced by beautiful sunshine. These are fairly good conditions for these players to be playing in, however some nasty clouds are just starting to build as we watch Li tee off on the daunting par-three 16th.
05:07 PM BST
Nearly an eagle on seven
How did that not go in? The current Champion Golfer of the Year Schauffele is just off the front of the par-five seventh green and chips on for his third shot. The ball hits the pin but does not drop in. It was not travelling too quickly so it is a surprise it did not go in. A birdie anyway for the defending champion and he improves to one under.
05:03 PM BST
Eagle alert!
Nearly three hours after Finau’s eagle on the 12, we have another on that hole. It comes from Gotterup, who won the Scottish Open last week and that takes the American to five under alongside R Hojgaard, Hatton, MacIntyre and English.
05:01 PM BST
Good signs for Team Europe?
Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald will be happy to see plenty of European representation near the top of the leaderboard:
-6: Fitzpatrick
-5: R Hojgaard, Hatton, MacIntyre
-4: N Hojgaard
-3: McIlroy, Reitan
04:58 PM BST
Rory McIlroy talking to Sky Sports
04:55 PM BST
Li loses outright lead
Even for a player in good rhythm, this course can strike back at any moment. Li’s leaky tee shot proves costly as he bogeys the 14th and loses his outright lead.
04:54 PM BST
Momentum stunted for one but gaining for another
Fitzpatrick would have been looking to capitalise on consecutive birdies on six and seven but a sloppy second shot at eight proves costly as he makes a bogey and drops back to six under.
However back on the sixth Scheffler makes it back-to-back birdies and he joins Fitzpatrick on six under. Ominous signs from the world No 1.
04:52 PM BST
Brothers going well
The Hojgaard family will be a happy bunch right now. Rasmus was out earlier today and registered a three-under round of 68, which leaves him at five under going into the weekend. Nicolai is finishing up his second round and is just one shot further back.
A good place for the Danish brothers to be heading into the weekend. Could we see play together at the Ryder Cup in just a few months’ time?
04:46 PM BST
World No1 birdies the fifth
Scheffler made a birdie on the first, which was followed by three pars. He has just birdied the driveable par-four fifth and that takes him to five under, four off the lead held by Li.
04:45 PM BST
Eye on the cut
Still a while to go in this second round but the projected cut currently sits at one over. Here are a few of the players outside that currently:
+2: Dustin Johnson (13), Joaquin Niemann (F)
+3: Zach Johnson (F), Tom Kim (F), Tom McKibbin (17), Jason Day (13), Patrick Cantlay (10), Henrik Stenson (9)
04:35 PM BST
Just two off the lead
Li is having a great round but so is Fitzpatrick, who has made it back-to-back birdies on six and seven to move to seven under. He has four birdies and just the one bogey so far today. This is what the top of the leaderboard looks like:
- Li -9 (thru 12)
- Harman -8 (F)
- Fitzpatrick -7 (7)
04:25 PM BST
New leader alert!
Harman was in possession of the leader as he finished his round but we have a new solo leader. Li’s fine round continues as he birdies the par-five 12th, which takes him to nine under and one shot clear of Harman. That is his fifth birdie of the day and is yet to drop a shot today.
04:15 PM BST
Big par save
Lowry will be a mightily relieved man walking off the fourth hole. His tee shot could so easily have gone out of bounds but he walks off the green with a par to his name. Huge sigh of relief for the 2019 Champion Golfer of the Year.
04:13 PM BST
Good response
A birdie on the fourth was followed by a bogey on the fifth by Fitzpatrick. However he responds with a birdie on the sixth to get back to six under, two off the leading duo.
04:11 PM BST
Rory McIlroy speaking to the BBC
04:06 PM BST
Bogey for Fitzpatrick
After a birdie on the fourth, the Yorkshireman loses that shot on the next as he cannot sink his par putt on the par-four fifth. He drops back to five under, three shots off the lead.
Up on the 11th Li nearly takes the outright lead but his lengthy birdie putt lips in and out of the hole. So close.
04:04 PM BST
Tyrrell Hatton speaking to Sky Sports
04:02 PM BST
Lucky escape
Lowry has just made birdie on the third but he has a huge slice of luck as his drive looks destined to go out of bounds but a lucky bounce back to the left saves him.
Scheffler then has a little bit of luck himself as his tee shot bounces over the corner of a bunker on the left side of the fairway.
03:57 PM BST
Home crowd happy
Lowry has under ten feet for birdie on the par-three third and he sinks the putt to move to two under.
Scheffler finds the middle of the green with his tee shot but his birdie effort slides by the left edge and has to settle for a par.
Morikawa is struggling at five over.
03:54 PM BST
Brian Harman (-8) speaking to Sky Sports
03:52 PM BST
The conditions they have had to deal with
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Horrible-looking clouds - Tom Shaw/Getty Images
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If you did not take an umbrella to Royal Portrush today, you are in trouble - Paul Childs/Reuters
03:49 PM BST
New co-leaders
Harman has finished his round on eight under and he has company at the mark as Li rolls in the simple birdie putt on the 10th. He is four under for his second round so far.
03:47 PM BST
Good rescue job
The second may be a par five but if you get out of position you can find yourself in trouble. Scheffler found the bunker off the tee and was playing catch-up for the rest of the hole. He saves his par though and that may feel as good as the birdie he got on the first.
03:46 PM BST
Finishing up
Both Finau and English go into the weekend in good positions, at four and five under respectively. Finau finished third the last time The Open came to Portrush as he ended up on seven under so he will have good memories round here.
03:44 PM BST
Rain relenting
The biblical rain has passed, much to the relief of the players and spectators. This rain will have softened the greens, perhaps allowing these later starters to really attack them.
03:43 PM BST
Bad, bad weather
It is deemed so horrendous that he needed his caddie to stand by him with the umbrella up above him just before he hit his tee shot on the par-three third.
Meanwhile on the 10th Li has played a stunning shot. His tee shot ended up in some thick rough yet somehow he finds a way of ending up just three feet from the pin. Quite sensational.
03:34 PM BST
Fitzpatrick just two off the lead
The Yorkshireman had a good round yesterday and is two under through his first four holes today, meaning he is six under for the tournament. He came into this week off the back of finishing in a tie for fourth at the Scottish Open last week.
03:31 PM BST
McIlroy heads into weekend at -3
The Northern Irishman has a 34-foot putt for birdie that slides just by the hole. He taps in for par and it is a two-under round of 69 to leave him at three under for the tournament going into the weekend.
Fleetwood’s trouble off the tee proves costly as he drops a shot, his first dropped shot of the day, to finish his second round on one under. A round of 68 for Fleetwood.
Thomas makes par and he is also at -1 after two rounds.
03:26 PM BST
Perfect start
It may be raining incredibly hard but that has not put Scheffler off rolling in a birdie putt to go to four under just one hole into his second round.
Lowry has a knee-wobbling putt from around seven feet for par and he sinks it to stay at one under.
03:25 PM BST
On the 18th
Fleetwood’s ball has been found and is just inside the barriers. No chance of getting to the green from there with that lie but he has found a bunker.
McIlroy’s tee shot found the fairway and the grandstands surrounding the 18th green are rammed. There have been huge queues for hours trying to get into those grandstands to watch McIlroy finish. The Northern Irishman finds the green with his second shot and will have an outside chance of a birdie to finish. This rain is biblical and these groups at the tail-end of their rounds will be delighted to be getting off the course soon.
03:19 PM BST
Here comes the rain
A slight alteration to the Beatles hit! Lowry, Scheffler and Morikawa have not even completed their first hole and the heavens have opened once more. The players and spectators could get a little wet here me thinks! The umbrellas have shot up as the rain hammers down.
I think even hammering it down is a massive understatement. This is the challenge of The Open Championship.
03:16 PM BST
Way to play?
Considering the windy conditions, it perhaps is not a massive surprise to see 2023 Open champion Brian Harman at the top of the leaderboard. His low ball flight is massively helping him counter the winds.
Back on the course Ludvig Aberg ends his second round on two under after a four-under round of 67. A decent place to be going into the weekend.
03:15 PM BST
Weather watch
I had just mentioned some threatening clouds and my goodness there really are. As Thomas tees off at the last, all you can see in the distance is darkness really and what appears to be a lot of rain. McIlroy, who is playing alongside Thomas, may be delighted that his round is about to finish with horrendous weather potentially incoming.
Talking of that group, Fleetwood is in trouble off the 18th tee and it goes way right, meaning he has to take a provisional.
03:13 PM BST
On the first tee
As some very dark clouds begin to assemble, the Lowry/ Morikawa/ Scheffler group is getting started. Two former Open champions in this group.
Lowry has the first shot of this group and finds the right side of the fairway, with the ball just stopping before the bunker.
Morikawa finds the bunker Lowry came up just short of.
Scheffler, whose best Open finish was a tie for seventh a year ago, finds the left side of the fairway.
03:11 PM BST
Wasted opportunity
Not getting the approach close enough proves costly as McIlroy’s birdie putt does not drop. He remains at three under heading to the last.
03:08 PM BST
Can McIlroy gain a few more shots?
McIlroy’s drive down the hill on 17 goes an absolute mile and his approach is solid, but he will feel he could have got closer to the pin. After being wayward off the tee for a lot of these first couple of days, he has drilled a few drives but has not massively taken advantage of them. In the distance, looking from behind McIlroy, there are some rather ominous looking clouds that look very threatening.
Meanwhile back on the first tee Scheffler is getting ready to start his second round.
03:06 PM BST
MacIntyre, Rose and DeChambeau finish
MacIntyre looks to finish his second round with a birdie but the ball just does not drop. It is a round though of 66 and he is five under going into the weekend
Rose has a lengthy look at birdie but it slides by the left edge. That par gives him a round of 71 so he ends his second round where he started it; -2, which is not a bad place to be going into the weekend.
DeChambeau also cannot make his birdie but it has been a big turnaround from the American, who was all over the place yesterday but has responded with a round of 65 today. He is one over for the tournament, which is right around the projected cut mark.
03:02 PM BST
Defending champion gets going
The 2024 Champion Golfer of the Year Xander Schauffele is off and running in his second round. His opening tee shot leaks out to the right but is not too far right to go out of bounds. Schauffele is playing alongside Jon Rahm and JJ Spaun.
The group after them will have plenty of followers; Shane Lowry, Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa.
02:58 PM BST
DeChambeau/Rose/MacIntyre onto the 18th green
Well, the Scot is just off it. DeChambeau has the best chance to make birdie, which would be a 64, seven under. He has made 16 of 18 greens today. Yesterday it was 7/18.
02:56 PM BST
Matthew Jordan becomes the sixth player on five under
Three English players in that group (Hatton, Jordan, Fitzpatrick) and also Harris English.... though perhaps not for much longer as he is making a tremendous mess of the 15th. His drive went into the deep rough, his shot out went into the deep rough and his third shot went into the bunker. Bogey at best, surely.
02:51 PM BST
Hatton finishes with a 69
As is customary, he becomes Tyrrell Hat-off.
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A slightly disappointing level-par back-nine but a good job nonetheless. He is five under and three shots off leader Brian Harman. Didn’t do much wrong today.
02:49 PM BST
The Americans are rising up the leaderboard
They inevitably do. An eagle on 12 has helped Tony Finau to four under which puts him into the top 10. Bryson DeChambeau makes a birdie on 17 (his seventh of the day) to get to one over for the tournament and seven under for the day. Tremendous battling. He may well be here this weekend, which looked unlikely before he teed off today.
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Matt Fitzpatrick birdies the first to move into the group at five under. It’s him and four others: Hatton, MacIntyre and Harrish English.
02:44 PM BST
Ludvig Aberg has been quietly going about his business
The Swede is now three under overall and five under for the day. Or he was... as he has just bogeyed 16. DeChambeau remains the right side of the projected cut line and is two over.
Robert MacIntyre bogeyed 16 but makes up for that instantly by sinking from the fringe at the back of the 17th green. He looked annoyed at his approach but I am not sure why.
02:39 PM BST
Harman in the clubhouse at eight under
He sinks the putt, as you would expect him to. A blemish-free 65. Superb all day from the 2023 Champion Golfer.
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02:37 PM BST
Can McIlroy keep his run going?
Probably not on this hole. His approach from 120 yards to a front pin is just short and rolls back. He might chip in, I guess?
Brian Harman, who has been the player of the day, puts in another wonderful approach shot on the last hole. It rolls up to the hole slowly and he will have a eight-foot putt for a 65.
Justin Rose, meanwhile, has moved to two under overall but his tee shot on 17 has found the deep rough. A frustrating day for the Englishman.
02:32 PM BST
Two leaders at seven under now
Brian Harman, who should only have another couple of shots to play in this round, and Li Haotong, who is seven under overall after six holes today.
02:27 PM BST
McIlroy into the top 10
He makes a birdie putt on 14th, which is playing the hardest of any hole today. He is back to three under.
Lee Westwood, meanwhile, has dropped a shot on the third. Aaron Rai finished the day one over so is one under overall. Tommy Fleetwood, who made four birdies on the front nine has not made one since the seventh hole. That’s no bad thing, but others are making moves ahead of him. Being five shots off the lead is no disaster, but it is worse if there are a bunch of names between you and the leader.
02:21 PM BST
Li Haotong is now at six under
That puts him in second place on his own, one behind leader Harman. Two birdies early in his round. No bogeys so far at Portush this week for him. MacIntyre has sent his tee shot in the 16th a little long, but will have green to work with with his chip out of the greenside rough.
Harris English dropped a shot on the 12th so drops back into the chasing group at five under.
02:15 PM BST
Two Hojgaards in the top 10
Rasmus finished with a 67 and his brother Nicolai is one under for the day and three under in total.
Harry Hall (below), the 27-year-old from Cornwall, pars the last to post a fine score of 67 for today. Two under in total and will be playing this weekend. Just his third major championship and comes after a very respectable top-20 finish in the US PGA earlier this year.
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02:04 PM BST
Keegan Bradley finishes with a 67
So far the best of today and that leaves him at three under overall.
02:02 PM BST
Three birdies in a row for DeChambeau
His approach shot to 14 left him with a mere tap-in. Five under for the day after 14 holes.
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01:59 PM BST
DeChambeau’s chances of making the cut increase
Another birdie puts him at three over overall and four under for the day. Looks like the cut will that those on two over make it through to the weekend. McIlroy and Fleetwood give themselves decent birdie chances on the 13th, though Fleetwood’s is slightly better. Justin Thomas’s is even better, though, probably barely four feet away.
01:56 PM BST
McIlroy just misses the eagle putt
But a tap-in birdie gets him to two under overall. Fleetwood can only make par on the same hole, so he remains four under for the day and two under overall.
Hatton has a lengthy birdie putt on 15 and just puts this one three inches short. Brian Harman at seven under still leads the way from compatriot Harris English who is one shot back.
01:52 PM BST
McIlroy mania leads to boost in merch sales
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Rory McIlroy-mania has prompted booming trade at the Open megastore, which recorded the R&A’s second best day of business ever on Thursday, Telegraph Sport understands. Fanatics, which runs the Championship’s retail arm, are thrilled with interest so far.
Only the opening day of the Championship at the 150th Open at St Andrews in 2022 had Open memorabilia fly off the shelves faster. The retail store here is vast, covering more than 28,500 sq ft and supported by over 300 staff, with 70 tills in operation. With 278,000 fans expected throughout the week, demand on opening day is said to have “exceeded expectations”.
Exact figures on takings are not disclosed but the Open will have some way to go to match the estimated million-dollar-an-hour takings at Augusta during the Masters...
01:48 PM BST
McIlroy remains at one under overall
After one par in the first five holes he has now only made pars. 12th is a par five and he has just hit his second shot to 30ft away, so should end that run.
Rasmus Hojgaard finishes his round and it’s a 68 with a birdie on the last with a very well-judged putt that sneaks in the side of the hole. Five under overall. Well played, sir.
01:41 PM BST
MacIntyre makes the birdie putt
He is now at five under overall and is looking in fine form. The last Scottish winner of a men’s major was more than 25 years ago: Paul Lawrie. DeChambeau and Rose also walk off to the next tee with twos.
Tyrrell Hatton has dropped a shot at 14 (playing the hardest hole today) and is back to five under.
01:35 PM BST
MacIntyre on the charge
He has just made his fourth birdie of the day on hole 12 and has now put his tee shot to within five feet on the par-three 13th. He has given himself plenty of opportunities for birdie today and has taken a few of them.
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His playing partners Rose and DeCheambeau also hit fine shots, all within six or seven feet of the hole.
01:32 PM BST
Bryson battling
After an awful first round of seven over, the big-hitting American is three under for today to leave him four over overall. Still a lot of work to do to make the cut, though, which is currently projected at two over.
01:31 PM BST
Rose’s minor disintegration
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Despite the 153rd Open’s pedestrian pace of play – and, in truth, these are slow pedestrians – things happen quickly at Portrush. Take Justin Rose. He was bogey-free after 23 holes, only two back of the lead and looking thrillingly solid. Six holes later, last year’s runner-up had picked up a birdie but also a bogey and triple-bogey as well. And now on level par, Rose is closer to the cut mark than the top of the leaderboard.
01:23 PM BST
Hatton moves to six under
A short birdie putt on the par-three 13th moves him to three under for the day. It came after a magnificent 200-yard tee shot.
Just the one bogey on his card today and four birdies. He is just one behind leader Harman.
01:20 PM BST
Triple bogey for Rose on 11
All a bit of a mess, even after the lost tee shot. He slips back to level par for the tournament.
01:18 PM BST
The best score of the day so far is 68
That came from Marc Leishman, with four others under par. Most of the field, of course, have not yet completed their rounds.
01:15 PM BST
Harman stretches his lead to two shots
Five under for the day and seven under overall after a birdie two on the 13th. It is then Englishman Hatton and American English on five under.
01:02 PM BST
Rose and about 20 others looking for his drive
I don’t think they have much chance of finding it. It’s done, not found and he will have to play his provisional, which at least is on the fairway.
What can Rose do with his fourth shot? Not a lot, he blocks it right into the deep rough off the green. Work to do if he is even to double bogey the hole.
Hatton is going to have to take his medicine on the par-five 12th, having come out of a bunker. He has a birdie putt but it is all of 46 feet.
12:59 PM BST
McIlroy’s woeful driving
If you want to know how bad things have been for him off the tee, there are 156 players in this tournament and McIlroy is ranked as tied for 155th for driving accuracy with just three fairways found out of 21. Mind you, Scheffler is 152nd...
McIlroy wisely takes a driving iron on the 10th and stripes it down the middle, at least.
12:54 PM BST
Well done Jacob Skov Olesen
After that eight on the first he makes a birdie on the second. Yes, it’s playing the easiest hole of the day but after putting two OB off the tee on the previous hole, anything is possible in this game. It is so easy to disintegrate and start thinking about things too much.
Justin Rose finds the gorse off the tee on the 11th. That could be a reload. McIlroy pars nine to stay at one under overall.
12:51 PM BST
Keegan Bradley having a good day
The American Ryder Cup captain is now four under for the day after 15 and three under overall.
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MacIntyre sees another birdie putt sneak past the hole and Hatton pars another to stay at five under. McIlroy’s lie for his approach wasn’t too bad actually and he manages to make the green, albeit with a 50ft birdie putt. He lags that up to about two feet away so it could be a decent escape after that drive.
12:44 PM BST
McIlroy tugs another drive left
He has been poor off the tee today. At least he only has 144 yards left but I am not sure the rough will allow him the interaction between the ball and clubface he needs to get it that close.
Harman now leader on his own at six under as R Hojgaard has dropped a shot at the 14th.
12:41 PM BST
Quadruple bogey eight for Jacob Skov Olesen on the first
First shot was out of bounds on the right. His third off the tee was out of bounds on the left. His third tee shot (his fifth total shot) at least found the fairway then it was a regulation three shots from there. He is back to level par overall, undoing all of his hard work from yesterday. It doesn’t get much worse than that.
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The aim now will be to regroup, find some pars and try to make the cut and not let the round unravel.
12:29 PM BST
Robert MacIntyre having a quietly good round
He made four birdies in the front nine and no bogeys but he has put himself in great positions an awful lot. A few birdie putts just missing. Only Fleetwood, Rasmus Hojgaard and Brian Harman are doing any better today.
12:20 PM BST
Hatton no longer in share of the lead...
....because Brian Harman has birdied the 10th, his fourth of the day. Rasmus Hojgaard is with him after a birdie on 13.
It is getting interesting out there. Of course this is all positioning for the weekend, but you’d rather be on eight under rather than four under with two rounds to go.
12:16 PM BST
Yesterday’s leader off to a terrible start
Jacob Skov Olesen played superbly yesterday but gets off to the worst possible start today. The left-hander pulls his opening drive out of bounds as it rolls towards the bottom of the hospitality. Reload and three off the tee. Fleetwood misses his eagle putt but should tap in for a birdie to move to three under. McIlroy misses his birdie putt which was from more like 12ft, not six.
12:15 PM BST
Hatton into a share of the lead
Rose (-2) steadies the ship with a par. He has had a few difficult shots to make but has averted disaster. McIlroy will have a five or six foot birdie putt. Speaking of those, Hatton rolls his in to move into a share of the lead with Brian Harman and now Rasmus Hojgaard. Hatton is playing well and looks focused today, if not without some frustration.
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12:10 PM BST
Fleetwood is going to have a makeable eagle putt on the seventh
He is probably 15ft away after two shots on the seventh. What can McIlroy do? He has 230 yards from the first cut of rough. His shot rolls onto the front of the green before rolling off it and bumping Justin Thomas’s ball in the hollow.
Hatton plays a wonderful approach on nine to about 17ft which will be a good chance for him to increase his happiness this round.
12:07 PM BST
Birdie-watch
Hovland is back to one under and three under for the day with a birdie on the seventh. Keegan Bradley is also three under for the day and two under overall. Speaking of the seventh, McIlroy is on that hole now after making his second par of the day on the previous hole.
12:05 PM BST
Is anyone having a nightmare today?
The conditions are fairly benign, with a little breeze. Adam Scott finished with an eight-over 79 in a card that included three double bogeys. Fair to say that he has played his last shot of this competition.
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11:59 AM BST
Bezuidenhout drops a shot
It is his first bogey since the first and ends a run of eight pars in a row. He is back to three under for the tournament and one over for the day.
11:53 AM BST
More irritation from Hatton
Wanted his 140yd approach from a tight lie to come out ‘spinny’. It did not and he has a long birdie putt on the eighth.
11:42 AM BST
First bogey of the tournament for Rose
It was on the par-three sixth after a difficult chip shot. Speaking of bogeys, McIlroy makes another on the fifth to continue his hot and cold day. Birdie, par, bogey, birdie, bogey so far.
Hatton, meanwhile, looks a big disgruntled after missing a birdie putt on the par-five seventh. A missed opportunity there. He is still four under overall but one under for the day.
11:34 AM BST
One American replaces another at the top
Harris English bogeys the fourth but Brian Harman birdies the seventh. He now sits atop the leaderboard at five under and three under for the day.
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Nobody is better than three under for their rounds today.
11:31 AM BST
Aaron Rai has slipped back
Two over for the day and level par overall. Jordan Spieth and Ludvig Aberg doing quite well at two under for the day and level par overall.
McIlroy on the fifth in the bunker plays a half-decent shot from 80 yards to the green, but it rolls back to some 80ft away. Could be three putts from there.
Robert MacIntyre narrowly misses a birdie putt on the sixth and stays at two under overall. Another revolution and it would have dropped.
11:24 AM BST
Guess what? A bad shot from McIlroy...
The fifth is driveable as you can cut off the corner. However, the Northern Irishman doesn’t get enough shape on his tee shot (with an iron, I believe) and finds a pot bunker. Fleetwood does a little better but is off to the right.
11:20 AM BST
McIlroy makes the birdie putt
He is back to one under for the day and two under overall. It was helped by a 348 yard drive that found the fairway. It certainly takes the sting out of a 504-yard par four, doesn’t it?
11:16 AM BST
Better from McIlroy
He puts his approach shot into the fourth green to six feet. A good chance for a birdie.
Tommy Fleetwood in the same group has a bit more trouble, having to play out of the deep rough. He finds the fairway before chipping close. He will have four feet to save par.
11:13 AM BST
Bunkers looking well raked so far
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The bunkers so far all look well raked today after Tommy Fleetwood was furious on the fifth yesterday as a caddie before him had failed to do his duties. I asked Fleetwood as he came off last night whether the issue had been that a policy change at the Open – with volunteers no longer raking – had not been communicated effectively.
Fleetwood was too nice to have a pop at anyone, however. “I’m not going to hold it against anyone too much,” he said. “You don’t know what was going on – you don’t know what was happening in that moment. I’m not going to get angry about anyone where you don’t know what’s happening, but it wasn’t great... bunker rakers would have been nice.”
11:12 AM BST
McIlroy back to level par for the day
It’s a bogey on the third after missing his par putt. One under for the tournament.
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No doubt he was unlucky with his stance for his chip, but a poor tee shot got him into the position in the first place.
11:09 AM BST
Viktor Hovland is making a charge, too
Like Fleetwood he has three birdies in the first three holes and then follows that up with a par on four to go to one under for the tournament and four shots off leader English. Speaking of English, Englishman Harry Hall is also three under for the day after eight to be five off the lead. We will surely see a 64 or lower today from someone?
11:05 AM BST
Fleetwood on a roll!
Three birdies in the first three holes. The latest courtesy of a 24ft putt on the third green.
11:02 AM BST
Harris English takes the lead on his own
A birdie on the par-five second does the job for the American as he moves to five under overall.
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Bezuidenhout is one back on four under and has had to fight a bit to stay at level par for the day.
10:59 AM BST
Rose’s bogeyless run continues
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Another great par save from Rose, as he stands on three-under after four holes of his second round. It is some performance to go through the first 22 holes without a bogey, although at last year’s Open he went the first 29 holes without a bogey. He is the model professional.
10:58 AM BST
Rasmus Hojgaard back to four under
He dropped a shot on the previous hole after a lost ball but gets back into a share of the lead.
McIlroy has a real struggle to work out how to play this chip. Feet on the steep slope of the bunker and the ball well above his feet, at knee-level. He is just going to have to hook-chip it and hope for the best by the looks of it.
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He has a wedge in his hands about half-way down the shaft. He dinks it up in the air and it nearly runs over the hole, but finishes about 15ft beyond it. Nicely done, but work to do for a par.
10:55 AM BST
McIlroy in trouble again
166 yards to the pin today on the par-three third. It’s an aggressive line... and rolls back towards one of the greenside pot bunkers... but not in it. He will have an awkward stance on that one.
10:53 AM BST
Leishman steadies the ship
At one point he was five under for the day after four birdies in six holes. However bogeys on 13 and 14 put him back to one under for the tournament. 15 and 16 were pars, however. Still, a decent day for him if he can get back into the clubhouse where he is now.
10:48 AM BST
Birdie-birdie start for Fleetwood
A disappointing score of 73 yesterday but he has started day two the right way.
McIlroy confidently strokes his par putt on the second into the middle of the hole. A good save, really, after a penalty stroke.
10:40 AM BST
McIlroy takes an unplayable lie from the deep rough
He finds a better lie, or tries to at least. He is scouting for a patch where to drop. Justin Thomas in his group finds the green but doesn’t quite have the distance to get onto the top tier.
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What can McIlroy do from here? It’s his third but he has a fair way to go to find the fairway. He’s a strong lad so will likely try and smash it down there with a seven-iron or something?
He takes an aggressive line and the ball rolls up to about 30 yards short of the green. Par possible from there, but needs an up-and-down.
Hatton, meanwhile, escapes with a par after playing out sideways on the fourth. He remains at four under.
10:35 AM BST
Rose moves to three under
A 30ft birdie putt on the third finds the hole. Hatton has played out to the fairway, 40 yards short of the green on hole four. Harris English has a birdie putt of his own on the first to take the outright lead but leaves it short and left.
10:33 AM BST
Currently eight men on four under
Hojgaard, Bezuidenhout, Harman, Hatton, English, Jacob Skov Olesen, Li Haotong and Matt Fitzpatrick. The first four of those are out on the links right now with Harris English on the first.
Hojgaard, however, is in a bit of bother on the par-five seventh. He lost his first tee shot and has now played four shots to get to the green. He has a 32ft putt to save par so it looks like a bogey.
10:30 AM BST
McIlroy takes driver on two
Grip it and rip it? Eesh. It is an enormous push and into the deepest rough on the right. It might only just be in bounds but it looks like they have found it? Maybe... maybe not.
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It looks optimistic but it might be a par at best for him from here.
10:29 AM BST
A day to go low for Rory
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Not with the McIlroy group but am about 300 yards from the first green and a huge roar greeted his birdie. There is barely a breeze and this seems the perfect scoring weather. For Rory it’s time to go low.
10:28 AM BST
A couple of missed chances for the Britons
MacIntyre lips out for eagle on the second hole and Rose does similar, but for par. A missed opportunity there for both, though worse for Rose.
10:25 AM BST
Birdies for McIlroy and Hatton
Hatton rolls in a birdie putt on the third hole to go to four under and a share of the lead.
McIlroy, on the first, has a 25ft putt or so to get to two under. Uphill, so should give it a rattle. Indeed he does, and makes it!
Fleetwood, in the same group, does the same to go to one over for the tournament.
10:13 AM BST
McIlroy (-1) under way
It’s a driving iron on the tee for the Masters champion. It’s a low draw that creeps into the left rough; the second cut but not the deep stuff.
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Playing partner Justin Thomas (+1) is bang down the middle and Tommy Fleetwood (+2), also with an iron, finds the left side of the fairway.
10:04 AM BST
Leishman drops a shot
He moves back to two under for the tournament after making a mess of the par-three 13th. Brian Harman didn’t make the eagle putt on the second hole, but did make the birdie and moves into a share of the lead.
Rory McIlroy off in five minutes’ time.
09:54 AM BST
Harman with a wonderful second shot to the second green
It’s a par five, so he has about 17ft for an eagle. He birdied the first and is currently just one shot off the lead.
09:53 AM BST
Steady from Rai (-2) so far
He opens with three pars. His countryman Tyrrell Hatton lags his birdie putt on the first, a little short. Par for him too.
09:50 AM BST
Robert MacIntyre opens his second round
A beautiful stroke and a fine result – in the middle of the fairway. Bryson DeChambeau had an awful day yesterday, seven over. How does his second round start? A high draw to the middle of the fairway.
Justin Rose also in this group and is at two under for the tournament. He also finds the middle of the fairway.
09:47 AM BST
Leishman’s charge continues
He is now five under for the day and three under for the tournament after a birdie on the 12th. A superb round so far from the Aussie.
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09:40 AM BST
Henley/Hatton/Lee group gets going
Solid drive from the Englishman, just rolling into the left light off the fairway.
Min Woo Lee, though, finds the deep rough on the left. He tries to carry to the right edge of the green and to feed it back into the pin. Unfortunately it comes out all wrong from 200 yards, low and left and into the bunker. He is three over for the tournament and has work to do from there and also over the rest of the day.
09:32 AM BST
Fore!
Joaquin Niemann has hooked his drive on the first out of bounds. A low draw you could call it if you were being generous. It does not finish out of bounds by much, perhaps a yard or two, but it is out. Would have been nicer if it would have kicked off some of those spectators, gently, and back into play...
09:23 AM BST
A change in policy contributing to slow play?
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Chatted to a few caddies and the belief in the locker room is that the R&A’s decision to ditch the green keepers who raked the bunkers for each group is contributing to slow play, with rounds taking up to six hours on Thursday. It obviously could only play a small part in the funereal march and the players are largely to blame, but there is bemusement as to why the governing body chose to abandon the bunker-rakers after at least 30 years of fine service.
There are whispers that the TV execs wanted a cleaner canvas for their coverage, with fewer people inside the ropes, and that it would allow for a better fan experience for those outside the ropes.
09:22 AM BST
Rai starts with a par
Bezuidenhout, meanwhile, has bounced back from that bogey at one with a birdie on the par-five second hole to move back into a share of the lead at four under. Rasmus Hojgaard has done the same on that hole to go to three under and move one off the lead.
09:11 AM BST
Aussie Marc Leishman on a charge
He has just registered his fourth birdie of the day on the 10th and with no bogeys on his card that puts him at two under for the tournament and four under for the day. Again, another player with a decent-ish record in this tournament: three top-10s in the space of four years between 2013 and 2017. Top 40 last year, too.
09:07 AM BST
Eagle for Keegan Bradley!
On the second a 20ft putt goes in through the back door and that puts him to one under for the tournament.
09:01 AM BST
Rasmus Hojgaard starts with a par to stay at two under
He, alongside twin brother Nicolai (-2) and Jacob Skov Olesen (-4), is one of three Danes in the top 10 after day one. No Dane has won a men’s major championship. Thomas Bjorn came the closest with two second places at this tournament and one at the US PGA.
08:53 AM BST
Rai (-2) is off with a good drive
Nicely done. Unfortunately for him at least, Bezuidenhout does miss that putt and moves back to three under and out of the share for the lead.
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08:48 AM BST
Bezuidenhout gives himself a chance of par
He had to play out from the deep rough on the first. His third shot is aggressively at the pin, spins and leaves him about five or six feet to stay at four under for the tournament.
08:46 AM BST
McIlroy has arrived
He tees off at 10.09am so a little wait. Footage shows the two-gloved Aaron Rai is on the range is off in the next seven or eight minutes. I’d want to be on the first tee at this point...
Meanwhile it’s another birdie for Ethan Fang who moves to three under for the day and one over for the tournament. Rickie Fowler (below) makes another birdie to go two under for the tournament. Definitely one of those players who seems like he has won a major... but hasn’t.
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2014 was the year he came the closest with a fifth at the Masters, third at the US PGA and a second apiece at the US Open and the Open. His last top-10 finish in a major was fifth at the US Open two years ago.
08:39 AM BST
Co-leader Bezuidenhout tees off
Afraid it’s not a good shot. He takes a hybrid by the looks of it and tries to keep it low but it leaks out right into the deep rough. It’s in bounds, but only by about 10 or so yards. Didn’t look like he fully committed, which is often the case when you have OB left and right.
08:26 AM BST
Daniel Brown makes a good start
He finished in the top 10 last year after starting the final day one shot off the lead. Anyway, he is now three over for the tournament but two under for the day after five holes played.
We are not too far away from a few of those in the current top 10 teeing off in their second rounds. Rasmus Hojgaard (-2) goes off at 8.36am alongside co-leader Christiaan Bezuidenhout, with Aaron Rai (also -2) at 8.47am.
Then between 9am and 10.35am we have a bagful more of players on two under or better: Tom Kim, Jistin Rose, Maverick McNealy, Brian Harman, Tyrrell Hatton and Harris English.
08:21 AM BST
Players must be hit where it hurts to cure scourge of slow play
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Officials judged JJ Spaun to have recorded a “bad time” here at the 153rd Open Championship and the US Open champion’s playing partners, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele, were not best pleased.
Goodness knows how they identified Spaun alone. Rounds were taking beyond six hours by the end of the opening day – everybody was slow and they surely could not blame one player. Indeed, picking out Spaun in this trail of the slugs was akin to singling out an Irishman here for having the odd pint.
In fairness, however, Spaun is not quick and clearly was not quick and in this respect, it is gratifying to witness the referees actually enforcing the rules, even if it was in an isolated case. Now let us see if they follow this through.
Should Spaun record another ‘bad time’ in the second round, he will receive a penalty shot and an example would thus be made. If you pardon the pun, it would be long overdue.
08:09 AM BST
Not the best start for two Masters champions
Sergio Garcia is one over for the day so far after three holes (and just narrowly missed a birdie putt) and Adam Scott is two over for the day, with a putt to save par on the fourth. They are even and three over for the tournament respectively.
08:03 AM BST
The first hole was the most difficult yesterday
Not hard to see why, really. Will that continue today?
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07:58 AM BST
Who is doing well so far today?
American amateur Ethan Fang, for one. He is at two under for the day (two over for the tournament) after three after back-to-back birdies.
However, he has found a tricky fairway bunker on the fourth.
07:53 AM BST
Tee times: Some early groups of interest
7:08 am Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, Ethan Fang (a)
7:19 am Laurie Canter, Elvis Smylie, Sergio Garcia
7:52 am Si Woo Kim, Shugo Imahira, Sebastian Cave (a)
8:25 am Keegan Bradley, Sungjae Im, Daniel Berger
8:36 am Rasmus Hojgaard, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Romain Langasque
8:47 am Aaron Rai, Sahith Theegala, Harry Hall
9:25 am Brian Harman, Maverick McNealy, Joaquin Niemann
9:36 am Russell Henley, Tyrrell Hatton, Min Woo Lee
9:47 am Robert MacIntyre, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose
9:58 am Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland
10:09 am Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood
10:20 am Harris English, Nick Taylor, Tony Finau
07:41 AM BST
Good morning
Welcome to our live coverage of day two of the 2025 Open Championship which comes from Royal Portrush. The first day yesterday was a tremendous day of any major championship, with nobody tearing the course up and plenty of big names in the reckoning at this early stage.
A good chunk of players were at even par or better after the opening round, with five players posting scores of four-under 67. They include Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Harris English, Jacob Skov Olesen, Li Haotong and Matt Fitzpatrick. There is plenty of home interest, too, with Tyrell Hatton, Matthew Jordan (-3), Aaron Rai, Lee Westwood, Justin Rose (-2) and Rory McIlroy (-1) towards the upper reaches of the leaderboard.
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Rory McIlroy had some find moments in his opening round - Getty Images/Alex Slitz
Clearly the biggest story this week (for all that of Shane Lowry returning to the scene of his greatest triumph...) is McIlroy. His round yesterday had its moments. At one point (hole 10) he reached three under par and within one shot of the leaders. Then came three bogeys in the next four holes before a birdie at 17 got him back to one under, where he finished.
It is a cliche that you cannot win the Open in the first round but you can lose it and, as much as he would have liked to have finished a couple of shots better, McIlroy has put himself in contention at this early stage. Mind you, he is not the only name who had a decent Thursday. World No 1 Scottie Scheffler managed to score a 68, though not without a few difficulties, 2023 champion Brian Harman is also at two under, with Jon Rahm and Shane Lowry at one under.
Really, at this stage, anyone who is not too far away from that score of four under is far from out of it. And that is the joy of major golf. Today is set up for another intriguing day of action in County Antrim, with a few early groups out already.
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