- Louis Oosthuizen leads by two after 65 at Sandwich
- Morikawa, Grillo and Rahm all shoot 64s
- Leaderboard: check the latest standings on the official site
That’s as good a time as any to wrap things up. What a day’s golf! Sensational 64s for Collin Morikawa, Emiliano Grillo and Jon Rahm, all three of whom came within inches of equalling Nick Faldo and Payne Stewart’s course record. Fine 65s by the 36-hole leader Louis Oosthuizen, the defending champion Shane Lowry, redemption story in waiting Dustin Johnson, and the amateur Matthias Schmid. And a hole-in-one for the debutant Jonathan Thomson! Not bad, huh, and it’s not even Moving Day yet. Hope to see you all tomorrow. Thanks for reading this blog. Sweet dreams everyone.
-11: Oosthuizen
-9: Morikawa
-8: Spieth
-7: Frittelli, Johnson, Scheffler
-6: van Tonder, Grillo, Siem, Sullivan, Harding
-5: Casey, Koepka, Hughes, Rahm
Scottie Scheffler wedges his third to eight feet, then steers in a wonderful par saver. He signs for a 66 and holds onto a share of fourth at -7. That’s a superb scramble. Yuxin Lin splashes out from sand to four feet, and punches the air as he makes the putt! His saved par means he’ll make it through to the weekend! A 72 today, he’s +1, and he’ll battle for the silver medal over the next two days with Matthias Schmid, who shot a superb 65 today, at -1 the only other amateur to survive the cut. Three putts for Sergio, so it’s not a trifecta of feelgood stories to end the day; he slips back to -3.
Scheffler can only take his medicine and punch out. Adding insult to injury, a quiff of turf briefly lands on his head. Garcia is able to muscle his ball onto the front of the green, from where he’ll have a long two putts for par. And there’s tension involving the third member of the group, the 20-year-old Chinese amateur Yuxin Lin. He’s playing in his second Open, having missed the cut at Carnoustie in 2018. He’s hoping to make it to the weekend this time. He’s +1, so if he pars, it’ll be all good. Unfortunately, from prime real estate in the centre of the fairway, the left-hander inexplicably tugs his second into a deep bunker. Nerves will be a-jangling now.
As the sun threatens to dip, a pair of stragglers make their way up 18. Scottie Scheffler sends a big slice into filth down the right of the hole, Sergio Garcia launches a drive over the bunkers on the left and into equally thick stuff.
Sergio keeps hanging on in there. He’d dropped a stroke at 15, but has just bounced back to -4 by steering in a right-to-left slider from 20 feet on 17. The dream is not yet kaput, especially if he can find something up the last.
Dustin Johnson plays the 18th in picture-pretty style. He splits the fairway with his tee shot, then wedges gracefully to a couple of feet. He tidies up for birdie and a 65, going into Moving Day at -7. Par for Justin Rose meanwhile, who signs for a fine level-par 70, having recovered from a hellish bogey-bogey-bogey start. He’s -3.
A birdie for Lee Westwood at the last. Having come back in 32 strokes, it’s a 67 for the 2010 runner-up. He’s -2 overall.
DJ visits Oosthuizen’s Swale down the left of 17, having made exactly the same mistake with a wedge from 70-odd yards. He putts up the hill to a couple of feet, and like Louis, salvages his par, albeit in less stressful circumstances. He remains at -6.
Like Morikawa and Spieth before him, Oosthuizen may feel he’s left a couple of shots out there, despite a fine round. All three of the leaders failed to birdie any of the closing three holes, which have offered plenty of birdies to others in the field. Strange old game, golf.
-11: Oosthuizen (F)
-9: Morikawa (F)
-8: Spieth (F)
-7: Frittelli (F), Scheffler (15)
-6: van Tonder (F), Grillo (F), Siem (F), Sullivan (F), Harding (F), Johnson (16)
Louis Oosthuizen, who had clipped his second at 18 to 12 feet, doesn’t give his birdie putt effort quite enough juice. It’s always dying to the right, but he taps in for a par and a 65, that sits very nicely alongside yesterday’s superb 64. He ends the day two clear of Collin Morikawa at -11. And it’s a par for Shane Lowry, whose 65 stands as a superb act of defiance. A successful defence of his title is still on; he’s -4.
Par at 18 for Jon Rahm, whose birdie effort from 15 feet stopped one turn short. Such a shame: he therefore becomes the third player today, after Collin Morikawa and Emiliano Grillo, to come within inches of equalling the course record, held jointly by Nick Faldo and Payne Stewart. His 64 whisks him all the way up the standings to -5, though, and the pre-tournament favourite, who looked very much a long shot after yesterday’s miserable 71, is right back in this!
Justin Rose, then. You may remember his bogey-bogey-bogey start. An awful sequence that could easily have been three doubles. He then shed another shot at 7, and looked all done, but he’s bounced back in vigorous style. Birdie at 9 and 12, then eagle at 14, and now he’s just a dimple’s width away from curling in a left-to-right 15-foot birdie putt on 16. He’s -3, and what moxie to refuse to buckle.
Trigger warning for anyone yet to recover from last Sunday’s wee thing at Wembley: this interview with Emiliano Grillo contains association-football references.
Related: Emiliano Grillo looking to emulate Argentina’s Copa América glory
DJ can’t make his par putt on 15, and so slips back to -6. Punishment for that errant drive. Up on 18, par for Dylan Frittelli, who signs for a 67, having come back in 31. He’s -7. And on 18, Oosthuizen batters a drive into next week. His pitching wedge will have a chance to redeem itself by setting up one last birdie chance.
Another birdie for Sergio! This one comes at 14, and the 2007 and 2014 runner-up moves to -4. His partner Scottie Scheffler makes one too, and joins a tie for fourth at -7. On 17, Shane Lowry birdies to haul himself up to -4 – this has been a hell of a recovery by the defending champ after yesterday’s 71 – and then his partner Louis Oosthuizen, after putting aggressively up the swale and six feet past the hole, nails the return to remain two clear at -11. He’d have been beyond livid had he taken four to get down from 75 yards.
Oosthuizen has left himself 75 yards to the pin at 17. He decides to go straight for the pin. Bad choice, as his ball takes a straight left off the camber of the green and down a swale to the side. Shortsided, he’ll face a very tricky up and down. Meanwhile DJ takes his medicine out of the bunker at 15 and finds the middle of the green in three. He’ll try to save par from 15 feet.
Oosthuizen responds to dropping his first shot of the week by bombing a huge drive down the centre of 17. Back on 15, DJ carves his tee shot into one of the fairway bunkers.
Oh Lefty.
Related: Phil Mickelson at a loss to explain tragicomic Open performance
Bryson DeChambeau leaves himself a monster two putts for par at 18. He needs to make them if he wants to stay the weekend. He lags the long one up to four feet, then steers in the saver. A battling 70, and at +1, he’ll survive the cut. For a while, it didn’t look like one of the game’s great entertainers was going to make it. Meanwhile Jordan Spieth gets up and down from the back of the green to save his par, and he goes into Moving Day nicely positioned at -8. Today promised more than 67 for a while, mind.
Dustin Johnson keeps setting them up, and keeps knocking them in. Three birdies in a row now, the latest at 15, and he’s suddenly in a tie for fourth at -7 with Dylan Frittelli, who screeches his approach at 17 to four feet, and strokes in the putt. Meanwhile Oosthuizen’s fine bogey-free run comes to an end as his six-footer on 16 lips out. Suddenly the top of the leader board has a different hue.
-11: Oosthuizen (16)
-9: Morikawa (F)
-8: Spieth (17)
-7: Frittelli (17), Johnson (14)
Trouble ahoy for the leader Oosthuizen, who sends his tee shot at 16 into Bjorn’s Bunker. He doesn’t need three attempts to get out like poor old Thomas back in 2003, though. He splashes out to six feet, and will have a chance to keep his bogey-free run going. Meanwhile up on 18, Spieth’s drive finds the rough down the left, and he can only send his second over the back of the green. If he gets up and down, he’ll be signing for a 67.
Jon Rahm wedges his second at 15 to kick-in distance, and that’s three birdies in a row. He’s -5, having looked realistically out of it not so long ago. Birdie for Shane Lowry, too, and the defending champ is -3. The third member of the group, the leader Louis Oosthuizen, leaves his second short of the green, but bundles a graceful chip up to a couple of feet, and tidies up to keep his blemish-free 2021 Open record in tact. This is wildly entertaining golf. Look at this leader board!
-12: Oosthuizen (15)
-9: Morikawa (F)
-8: Spieth (17)
-6: van Tonder (F), Grillo (F), Siem (F), Sullivan (F), Harding (F), Frittelli (16), Johnson (13), Scheffler (13)
DeChambeau pours it in. That was so smooth and looked nerveless, but you can be sure those nerves were jangling inside. A par up the last, and he should be here for the weekend. It can’t happen tomorrow, of course, but the dream of a Brooks-Bryson pairing on Sunday would be still technically a possibility.
A two-putt par from the front of 17 for Jordan Spieth. He remains at -8. A bit of trouble for Bryson, though, as he sends a slightly hysterical putt from the fringe six feet past. He’s right on the cut line, and really needs to make his par.
Back-to-back birdies for Dustin Johnson. The 2011 nearly man – a joint runner-up behind Darren Clarke alongside Phil Mickelson – picks up shots at 12 and 13 to rise to -6. Dylan Frittelli birdies 16 to join him there. A lot of players making hay while the sun shines; the R&A will be happy the weather is set fair all weekend to firm up the course, though, and they’ll be sure to hide a few of these flags away tomorrow.
Another birdie for Scottie Scheffler! This one comes at 12, his fourth in six holes, and he’s catapulted himself up the standings into a tie for fourth at -6.
Huge eagle putt on 14! It’s made by Louis Oosthuizen, who finds the centre of the par-five in two creamy strikes, then rolls in the 15-foot downhill right-to-left slider to move three clear at the top! One more birdie, and he’ll be tying the course record of 63. Two more, and he’ll be tying Branden Grace’s all-time men’s major-championship best of 62.
-12: Oosthuizen (14)
-9: Morikawa (F)
-8: Spieth (16)
Bryson and Jordan are both desperate for their birdie putts on 16 to drop, for vastly different reasons. Both players are disgusted with themselves as their efforts shave the hole but stay up. They remain at +1 and -8 respectively.
A word with Brooks Koepka. “I drove the ball great. I love my driver.” He just about – just about – manages to keep a straight face while saying that.
Related: Bryson DeChambeau’s club maker hits back at ‘stupid’ driver complaints
An unnecessary bogey for Jordan Spieth at 15. He nervously shoves a short par putt to the right, and the ball horseshoes out. A little bit of separation at the very top of the leader board now.
-10: Oosthuizen (13)
-9: Morikawa (F)
-8: Spieth (15)
-6: van Tonder (F), Grillo (F), Siem (F), Sullivan (F), Harding (F)
-5: Casey (F), Koepka (F), Hughes (14), Frittelli (14), D Johnson (12), Scheffler (11)
Dylan Frittelli only makes birdie on 14. It takes him up to -5, but he didn’t give his short eagle putt any chance whatsoever. An extremely timid prod. Meanwhile back-to-back birdies for Bryson DeChambeau, at 14 and 15, and he’s refusing to go quietly into the night. That puts him on the right side of the cut line at +1!
A new leader of the Open! Louis Oosthuizen makes quickfire back-to-back birdies at 12 and 13, and he reaches double figures! Birdie for his playing partner Jon Rahm too, but he remains way back at -3 despite his fine efforts this afternoon.
-10: Oosthuizen (13)
-9: Morikawa (F), Spieth (14)
Back-to-back birdies for Scottie Scheffler at 9 and 10. In fact that’s three in the last four holes, and the young American, who has developed a super-stinger to use around the place, is suddenly right in this at -5. Dylan Frittelli should soon be right up there, too, after steering a glorious second into the heart of the par-five 14th: he’ll have a look at eagle from ten feet or so. And it’s three birdies in a row for Sergio! Shots picked up at 8, 9 and now 10, and he’s -3.
The 2011 champion Darren Clarke soaks in the applause up on the 18th green, the scene of his signature success. No glory this year, as he signs for a 75 to finish his tournament at +6, well shy of survival. But the old boy played the last seven holes in one-under par, to salvage some professional pride, and is that a little bit of moisture in his eyes as the memories of that Sunday ten years ago come flooding back? Lovely scenes, and a reminder that it wasn’t so long ago when Northern Ireland was coming at the majors from all angles.
While Thomson was scribbling his name in the Open history books, Spieth’s loose tee shot at 14 denied him the opportunity of birdie at the easiest hole on the golf course. That’s effectively given 0.4 shots back to the field. Another way to look at it: it’s a par, and he remains in a share of the lead at the 149th Open Championship.
This is such a feelgood story! Thomson was diagnosed with Leukemia when he was seven, and could no longer play any impact sports. But he could continue to play golf. He thankfully recovered from illness by the age of 12, and has gone on to become the tallest player in European Tour history. He ambles down to scoop his ball out of the hole, and here’s a moment when you really realise the crowds are back. The grandstand goes wild! Thomson needed that, too. He was right on the cutline at +1. Now the hole-in-one eagle gives him a cushion at -1.
An ace at the par-three 16th! Jonathan Thomson is making his Open debut this week. The 25-year-old from Rotherham, who came through Final Qualifying at Hollinwell, lands his tee shot at the 149-yard hole just over the bunker guarding the front of the green. A bounce forward off the bank, three more little skips, and the ball rolls into the cup! He raises both arms in triumph, smiles broadly, and celebrates with his much more excitable caddy in the gentle-giant style: Thomson is six feet and nine inches tall.
Another par for Louis Oosthuizen, this time at the par-three 11th. Another par for Jordan Spieth, this time at the par-four 13th. Then a mistake by the co-leader Spieth, as he takes iron on the par-five 14th for safety, only to pull it into the thick fescue down the left. A wee bit too worried about the O/B on the right, perhaps. He’ll almost certainly not be able to clear the Suez Canal running across the fairway with his second, which in turn will mean a long iron in.
Jordan Spieth growls in frustration – “Aw, God!” – as he sends his second into 13 pin high. Jon Rahm meanwhile spins 180 degrees in disgust after supposedly mishitting his tee shot at 11. That’s pin high too. Both men will have a look at birdie from 20 feet or so. Yep. High standards, huh. Then on 18, Brooks Koepka rattles in his birdie putt. That’s three in a row to close, four in the last five holes, en route to a 66. He’s -5.
Frustration for Oosthuizen as he fails to hit his birdie putt from Spieth Country on 10. A couple more joules of energy and that was dropping. It was on the perfect line. He remains one off the lead at -8. Meanwhile up on 18, Brooks Koepka wedges his second to eight feet, and it’ll be an eye-opener for the leaders if he knocks that birdie putt in to move to -5 despite a couple of – by his lofty standards – average days.
Bogey for Ian Poulter on 18. That’s a downer on which to end a fine round of 66. He’s -2 and in good nick going into the weekend. Some disappointment for his compatriot and playing partner Paul Casey, too, who misses a six-footer for birdie after a lovely wedge in. Still, it’s a 67 to go alongside yesterday’s 68, and he’s -5, very nicely placed for Moving Day.
Jordan Spieth joins Collin Morikawa at the top! He walks in a 15-footer on 12 for his second birdie in three holes, and his fifth of the day. Back on 10, Louis Oosthuizen, now in third place, lands his second where Spieth made birdie from a few minutes ago.
-9: Morikawa (F), Spieth (12)
-8: Oosthuizen (9)
Perhaps Dustin Johnson’s dreams of righting the wrongs of 2011 haven’t been extinguished yet. He’s followed bogey at 3 with a turnaround blitz, picking up strokes at 5, 7 and now 8. He’s -4, with plenty of time to make up some ground. Meanwhile on 17, Brooks Koepka sends his second over the flag to ten feet, and curls in the birdie putt. He’s -4 too. A lot of big names seem of a mind to make their move.
Another birdie for Shane Lowry, this time at 9. He turns in 32, as does his playing partner Jon Rahm, who also birdies the hole. They’re both -2. The third member of the group, Louis Oosthuizen, takes his two putts for par and remains in a tie for second at -8. A careless three-putt bogey for Jack Senior at 14, though, and he drops to -4.
Oosthuizen, yet to drop a shot this week, sets himself quite the test at 9, hooking his drive into tousled tat down the left. He gets a bit lucky with his lie, which is not great but not a complete nightmare, and muscles his second into the heart of the green. He’ll still have to get down in two putts from 30 feet, but from where he was, that showed moxie.
Brooks Koepka is fighting hard to stay in touch. Having followed up birdie on 14 with bogey at 15, he nearly screws in his tee-shot at the par-three 16th for an ace. Just – just! – a birdie, and he’s back to -3. Alongside him on the leader board: Ian Poulter, who went out in 31 thanks to a three-birdie blast at 7, 8 and 9, and has since made another at 15.
The defending champion Shane Lowry isn’t quite done yet. Having bogeyed 5 to drop to +1, he’ll have had one eye on the cut line. Now, after birdie at 6, and another at 8 where he rammed in a 30-footer, he’s -1. Par for Louis Oosthuizen at 8, meanwhile – he was one turn shy of a 12-footer for birdie – and three huge names are nice and snug and tight at the top now.
-9: Morikawa (F)
-8: Spieth (10), Oosthuizen (8)
Jordan Spieth joins Louis Oosthuizen in second place! He’s not particularly happy with his second into 10, sent a wee bit right of the target, but he’s pin high, just off the green. No matter! He rolls in his 12-footer from the fringe for his fourth birdie of the day. The 2017 champion is closing in. Meanwhile Danny Willett pars 18 to sign for a 69 – he’s -4 overall – while his partner Dean Burmester bogeys the last, a diminuendo end to an otherwise fine 67. He’s -3.
Darren Clarke, the winner here last time round, won’t be making the weekend. A triple-bogey seven at 10 has seen to that. He’s currently six over for his round today through 13, after a fine, fighting 71 yesterday. Ah well, he’ll always have, er, Royal St George’s. Phil Mickelson meanwhile will always have Muirfield, and though he’ll not survive the cut either, he’s salvaged some dignity after yesterday’s horror-show 80, with a respectable 72. The current PGA champion ends his week at +12.
Louis Oosthuizen plays the par-five 7th in textbook style. A drive down the middle, his second into the heart of the green and so unfortunate to topple off the back, a chip to a couple of feet, and a putt. Birdie, and the 2010 champion is one off the lead. He’s still not made bogey this week.
-9: Morikawa (F)
-8: Oosthuizen (7)
-7: Spieth (9)
-6: van Tonder (F), Grillo (F), Siem (F), Sullivan (F), Harding (F)
-5: Casey (15), Senior (12), Harman (8), Hughes (8)
Brooks Koepka has quietly gone about his business since that bogey/double-bogey horror at 3 and 4. Birdies at 5, 7, 9 and now 14, the latest a reward for splashing out from sand to kick-in distance, and the four-time major winner is suddenly -3. A strong finish and he’ll furrow many a brow higher up the leader board. Jon Rahm meanwhile follows birdie at 6 with another at 7. The pre-tournament favourite is -1.
Jordan Spieth has gone a little quiet since that eventful birdie-birdie-bogey-birdie start. A string of pars all the way to the turn. He nearly breaks it at 9 but a 15-foot right-curling birdie effort stops one dimple short. He’s played the front nine in 33; he’s -7. Birdie meanwhile for his playing partner Bryson DeChambeau, who moves back to +2. And Brian Harmon holes a tramliner on 8 to get back to where he began the day at -5. That’s a fine fightback by a player looking to become only the third left-hander in history to win the Open, after Bob Charles and Phil Mickelson.
Another birdie for Paul Casey! This one comes at the par-five 14th, and his smile is as fruity as Kent. He’s -5. Bogey for Dean Burmester at 15; he slips back the other way to -4. And Daniel Berger continues to mooch along; having turned in 32 after three birdies in a row between 7 and 9, he’s made three subsequent pars and remains at -3. Berger’s major record should be much, much better than it is – and he’s done very little at the Open – but he’s coming off the back of a tie for seventh at Torrey Pines, so very much trending in the right direction.
Oh Tyrrell! How could you!
Related: Tyrrell Hatton facing a fine for swearing outburst and snapping club in half
Birdie putt for Jon Rahm at 6. In it drops, and that’s the end of a run of pars this afternoon. He’s back to level par. Jordan Spieth lets an eight-foot effort slip by on the left on 8 to remain at -7. Brian Harman chips in from the back of 7; it’s his second birdie in a row, repairing most of the damage caused by earlier bogeys at 2, 3 and 5. He’s -4. And Bryson DeChambeau birdies 7 only to hand the shot straight back at 8 after fluffing a putt from the fringe. He’s +3 again.
Par for Justin Harding on 18, and that’s another 67 for the 35-year-old South African. Bogey meanwhile for Danny Willett at 15, which explains why he’s no longer on this leader board.
-9: Morikawa (F)
-7: Spieth (7), Oosthuizen (5)
-6: van Tonder (F), Grillo (F), Siem (F), Sullivan (F), Harding (F)
-5: Senior (10)
Richard Bland, late-blooming hero of this year’s British Masters and supernova presence at the US Open, looked all set to be packing his bags. The cut’s projected at +1, and he was +3 through 13. But he’s finished his round with a hide-saving triple-birdie blast, at 14, 15 and 18. Back in 33 for his second level-par 70 of the week. He’ll tee it up this weekend. There’s hope for us all, no matter how long in the tooth. Eh?
On the whole, things are going well for the English contingent. Andy Sullivan has just parred 18 to card his second 67 of the week. He’s in the clubhouse at -6, poised perfectly for Moving Day. Danny Willett is -5 overall having just birdied 14; Jack Senior went out in 33 to move to -5; Paul Casey has made four birdies in his last six holes, the latest at 12, to rise to -4; and Ian Poulter was out in 31 to move to -4. Justin Rose is rather spoiling the effect, though. Some very loose play this afternoon, and he’s bogeyed his first three holes. In fact, he’s been forced to sink missable bogey putts on each one. Having shot 67 yesterday, he’s quickly back to where he started the week, level par.
Dean Burmester is playing in his first Open this week. The 32-year-old Zimbabwe-born South African has had four top-ten finishes in on the European Tour this year, including a win in Tenerife. He’s going along nicely here too. He’s just carded his fifth birdie in the last eight holes, this time at 14, and joins the group at -5.
Thanks David. Now, then. Here’s a question for you all. There’s only one tree on the entire course at Royal St George’s, perched on a bank to the right of the par-three 3rd. Guess who sent their ball whistling towards it? We could give you ten goes, but you’d only need one. That’s right, it’s professional trouble magnet Dustin Johnson. An awful slice. He does pretty well to punch out from under its branches and onto the green, but he can’t make the 15-footer he leaves himself and that’s a first bogey of the day. He slips to -1.
Jordan Spieth’s birdie try at 6 catches the lip but stays out and he remains at -7. A bend of the knees as it refuses to drop but it’s instantly forgotten and he bounds off the green like someone playing in a Sunday four-ball, just happy to be enjoying the sunshine and nice views. And on that upbeat message, I’ll hand you back to the man himself, Scott Murray.
While English players are winless since 1992, South Africans have banked three Open triumphs since the turn of the century: Ernie Els in 2002 and 2012 and Louis Oosthuizen in 2010. Oosthuizen (-7) is right up there again and he has company from two fellow Springboks: Danny Van Tonder has finished at -6 while Justin Harding is also three behind thanks to an eagle at 14. Add in Dean Burmester in T9 (-4 after 13) and that’s four South Africans in the top 10.
Andy Sullivan rolls in a birdie putt at 16 and he’s the highest-placed Englishman at -6, currently tied fourth. Maybe not as weird as the stat that no left-hander has ever won the US Open but it’s certainly a curiosity that no English golfer has hoisted the Claret Jug since Nick Faldo at Muirfield in 1992. Sir Nick can currently be heard doing impressions in the Sky commentary box. From observing him down the years, he appears to have a couple of go-to’s – a cor blimey guv’nor cockney one and an ee, bah gum Yorkshire one. I enjoy both but there’s room for expansion.
US Open champion Jon Rahm gets a kindly kick off the slope in front of the putting surface at 3 and his ball pings into the middle of the green. The Spaniard has started with a pair of pars today so remains at +1 overall. Official status: stalling.
Superb approach by Brooks Koepka at the 9th and the stain of that double bogey at 4 has been well and truly wiped out. The four-time major winners has birdied 5, 7 and 9 to climb from 1-over to 2-under. Official status: lurking.
Jordan Spieth nailing a 20-footer in an Open is a familiar sight and you can add another to the collection after he drains his birdie try at 4. That bounceback from his bogey at 3 returns the American to -7 and two back. As for playing partner Bryson DeChambeau, owner of an Open record reading MC-51-MC, the monster-hitting American has followed three opening pars with a bogey. Nothing to see here really; he’s +2 overall and the Scientist’s internal computer continues to glitch.
Talking of The Monkees, here goes Mike Nesmith lookalike Dustin Johnson. Can DJ, the runner-up at Royal St George’s in 2011, launch a challenge? He starts out at -2, so much better off than Phil Mickelson (+12), the other joint runner-up here 10 years ago. What of Darren Clarke you ask? The Claret Jug winner from 2011 is currently +2 after 7 so a shot shy of the cut line.
Paul Casey and his caddie, John McClaren, are the latest duo to be shown on Sky’s new ‘Open mic’ feature. It’s pre-recorded, presumably to avoid someone saying “shit” or “bollocks” live on air. It seems designed to show how beautifully player and bagman work in tandem as every shot appears to work out well. Where’s the jeopardy? In other news, Casey’s voice always sounds like how an American TV show wants an Englishman to sound. Like Davy Jones in the Monkees.
Jordan Spieth gives one back. Blame the tee shot at the 238-yard par-3 3rd hole which came up short of the green. But while Spieth bogeys, Louis Oosthuizen birdies (the 1st). Morikawa’s two most likely challengers flip scores which are presented in the traditional fashion below.
-9: Morikawa (F)
-7 Oosthuizen (1)
-6: van Tonder (F), Grillo (F), Siem (F) Sullivan (14), Spieth (3)
-5: Hughes (2)
A message from you glorious leader. He (Collin Morikawa) makes it sound all so easy.
Just sticking to what I’ve been doing. Yesterday I thought I played really well. Just wasn’t hitting as many fairways. Was able to hit a few more fairways early on in the round today.
When I’m in the fairway with a 9-iron or 8-iron I feel very comfortable. Not necessarily going straight at the pins but being aggressive with the lines I need to take and slopes you need to play.
No par for Rory at 18 because… he’s just stroked in a 12-footer for birdie. That’s a pair of 70s but how many shots has he frittered away today and yesterday? Could he still pull off a weekend miracle? Not for me, Clive (Clark); you don’t win Opens from nine back at halfway. The leaders are simply playing too well.
The big names are coming thick and fast onto the 1st tee box now and the latest three-ball is defending champion Shane Lowry, pre-tournament favourite Jon Rahm and first-round leader Louis Oosthuizen. Lowry goes into the thick stuff down the right, Rahm finds the first cut on the left while Oosthuizen splits the middle of the fairway.
You get the feeling that if anyone could reel in leader Collin Morikawa, it’s Jordan Spieth. The hero from Royal Birkdale – the most recent Open to be played on English soil – follows his red number at 1 with another at 2. That birdie-birdie start has elevated him to solo second on 7-under and two behind the leader.
Rory’s race is surely run. He misses a tiddler for par from inside three feet at 17 and drops to +1 and into a tie for 62nd. These closing holes were a chance to close the gap; instead, he’s made bogeys at 16 and 17. Another at 18 and he’ll be outside the cut line. Even if he scrapes through, this clearly just isn’t his week.
Cam Smith, whose transformation from baby-faced newcomer to throw-another-shrimp-on-the-barbie old-skool Aussie still catches me out, rolls in his seventh birdie of the day and third in four holes to jump to -5 and four back.
A lovely and emotional moment as the first-tee announcer pays tribute to the great Peter Alliss, who sadly passed away shortly before Christmas. “As a player and a commentator, Peter made an indelible mark on the Open. We will all miss his uniquely wise, warm and witty commentary.” Back in a moment, I think I have something in my eye.
Omen time. What do the last two Open winners (Shane Lowry and Francesco Molinari) have in common? There are lots of answers to be honest but one is that both played the first two rounds in the company of South African Branden Grace. I’d probably use this fact if writing one of those Open diary columns, labelling the snippet, “Grace and Favour”, because we all love a modern TV reference. Anyway, this week Grace is playing with Bryson DeChambeau and Jordan Spieth. DeChambeau won’t keep the ‘streak’ going but Spieth might: he’s just dribbled in his putt for an opening birdie and is up to tied second.
Oh Rory! He hits a decent bunker shot at 16 but misses the par putt. Rather than eat into Morikawa’s lead, the Northern Irishman is now nine back. Outside hopes are being downgraded to something even less encouraging. Up at 18, Phil Mickelson restores some pride by following his horrid first-round 80 with a respectable 72. An odd week for the left-hander, who hasn’t really come out of the trance he put himself into in order to win the PGA Championship a couple of months ago.
Bryson DeChambeau, who had to issue a grovelling apology to his club manufacturers, Cobra, yesterday after saying his driver “sucked”, shares some bantz with the crowd on the 1st tee as he pulls out… a 4-iron (better for the soul to give a nod to a former Guardian golf correspondent/chart topper). He hit just four of 14 fairways so it’s a smart move; his drive finds the short stuff.
McIlroy is yet another player to come up short with his tee-shot at 16 as he plonks his ball in the bunker. It’s a palms on knees, head bowed reaction from Rory. A nice photo opportunity to sum up his frustrating round. Par now his focus from there but, on a better note, 17 and 18 are both playing under par today so he has a chance to nudge closer to Morikawa. At eight back, he has to really.
A bit of a wild start from Brooks Koepka today as he bids to add to his tally of four majors, all accrued since the start of 2017. After a par at the 1st, he’s gone birdie-bogey-double bogey-birdie. That’s a drop of 13 places to tied 45th and he’s back in the pack at even par.
Marcel Siem has good grounds to be nicknamed “iron-man”. Not for matching Collin Morikawa’s extraordinary levels of approach play but for the fact that, absurdly, this is his 14th tournament in a row. He’d have every right to be going spare by now but the German’s energy levels show no sign of abating and he punches the air after draining his 15-foot birdie putt at 18. That’s a second straight 67 and puts him tied for second in the clubhouse at 6-under, three behind Morikawa.
-9: Morikawa (F)
-6: van Tonder (F), Grillo (F), Siem (F) Oosthuizen
-5: Spieth, Harman
Andy Sullivan, who once won a trip to space for a hole-in-one at the KLM Open in the Netherlands, launches a long-range putt from the back of 10th to a couple of inches. He’ll tap that in for par. For those wondering, he turned it down. “Not for me,” said the man from the Midlands, showing a clear preference for Nuneaton over Neptune. And who can blame him.
“Go. Go. Go… short,” says a frustrated Justin Thomas as his wedge at the par-3 16th lands in a bunker guarding the front of the green. That’s a frustrating mistake with such a short club in hand. Having fought back from +2 to even par today, he won’t want to fall the wrong side of the cut line now. Meanwhile at 15, more evidence that Rory’s irons are nowhere near the levels of Morikawa’s as he leaks his approach short and right of the green. More up and down work needed.
Thanks Scott. No birdie for Rory at 14 unfortunately. His 10 footer catches a piece of the hole but fails to disappear from view. What’s a reasonable “can still win from here” target for McIlroy now? Sifting through the records of winners, David Duval (2001, Lytham) and Ernie Els (2012, Lytham) were both seven back at halfway; Rory is currently eight adrift. Here at Royal St George’s, Darren Clarke was tied for the 36-hole lead in 2011 while Ben Curtis was three behind after two laps. Maybe Rory would have a better chance if they head north and play the final 36 at Lytham.
Marcel Siem turned 41 yesterday, and continues to party like it’s his birthday. No bottle full of bub for the big German, but he follows birdie at 14 with another at 17, and he’s going to make the cut for the first time since his Open debut at St Andrews in 2010. He’s -5 … and with that, I’m going to hand over to your friend and mine, David Tindall, who will be your guide for the next couple of hours. See you again later.
-9: Morikawa (F)
-6: van Tonder (F), Grillo (F), Oosthuizen
-5: Siem (17), Spieth, Harman
Jack Senior only qualified last week with his top-ten finish at the Scottish Open. The 32-year-old from Blackpool has grabbed this opportunity with both hands, shooting a fine 67 yesterday, and now pouring a long birdie effort across 1 and straight into the cup. He’s -4, and shaping up to be one of the feelgood stories of the week.
Birdie for Tommy Fleetwood on 14. He’s fought back to level par for his round after that bogey-bogey stumble before the turn. He’s -3. Then coming behind, Rory McIlroy nearly does a Dustin Johnson, sending a long iron from the centre of the fairway dangerously close to the OB down the right. His ball snags in the semi-rough. It’ll be a tricky chip and putt if he wants to make birdie, but it could have been so much worse with a harder hop sideways right off the increasingly baked links.
Koepka hands the shot straight back at 3. He leaves his tee shot short and left, where he’s shortsided. He can’t get close with his chip, and he’s -1 again.
Birdie for Brooks Koepka at 2. He’s -2 again. Meanwhile Abraham Ancer nearly finds himself behind the only tree on the entire course, up a bank to the right of the par-three 3rd. He’s got a route in, though, and chips delightfully to a couple of feet, saving his par. He remains at -1 and earns a thumbs up from Ian Poulter … who looks equally chipper upon rolling in a 20-footer for birdie to rise to +1.
McIlroy sprays his tee shot at the 13th wildly right. So far right, in fact, that his ball ends up on a portion of rough trodden down by the gallery. That allows him to whistle his second into the heart of the green. He’ll have an outside look at birdie, but par is the main aim on one of the harder holes on the course.
Rory McIlroy moves into red figures for the first time since the 4th hole yesterday afternoon! At 12, he lands his wedge ten feet past the flag, and nearly spins it back into the hole for eagle. He taps in for birdie, and he’s -1. A strong finish, with the final few holes having given up plenty of birdies already today, and dreams of a second Claret Jug to the one he lifted at Hoylake in 2014 will remain very much alive.
Emiliano Grillo is this close to equalling the course record! He nearly spins a wedge into the cup at 18 from 100 yards, the ball landing a little to the right of the hole before taking a 90-degree turn and somehow defying gravity as it skirts the left lip! He taps in for birdie and a 64. The chance of becoming only the second Argentinian winner of the Open, after Roberto de Vicenzo at Birkdale in 1967, is a real one now.
-9: Morikawa (F)
-6: van Tonder (F), Grillo (F), Oosthuizen
-5: Spieth, Harman
-4: Finau (F), Fox (F), Commers (F), Siem (14), Sullivan (7), Hughes, Frittelli, Cink
An eagle opportunity slips by on 14 for Marcel Siem. Shame, but the 41-year-old German taps in for a birdie that moves him to -4. Meanwhile it’s a third birdie in four holes for Cam Smith, this time at 11, and he’s -3.
There won’t be another strong major-championship finish for this year’s Masters runner-up Will Zalatoris. He shot 69 yesterday, but has withdrawn before going out today. There’s no official reason yet, though he did appear to limp after gouging out from the rough on 15 yesterday. It wasn’t a good day for one of the year’s breakthrough stars, who also missed an 18-inch putt on 17 with a horrible, nervous yip. A fair chance he may not be too displeased to get out of Dodge. Sometimes it just isn’t your week.
Emiliano Grillo curls a right-to-left 25-footer into the cup at 17, and it’s his fourth birdie in six holes. He’s -5 and a birdie up the last would match Collin Morikawa’s 64. He’s -5 overall.
Collin Morikawa’s birdie putt horseshoes out. What a shame. Nick Faldo and Payne Stewart’s course record of 63, set then equalled in 1993, still stands. But it’s still a fantastic round of 64, and the field should be worried, because the 24-year-old Californian left a few shots out there. If he continues to dial his irons in like this, he could easily replicate that once or twice this weekend. Everyone else might be relying on his putter going totally haywire.
-9: Morikawa (F)
-6: van Tonder (F), Oosthuizen
-5: Spieth, Harman
-4: Finau (F), Fox (F), Conners (F), Grillo (16), Sullivan (5), Harding (4), Hughes, Frittelli, Cink
Tyrrell Hatton, his lid having stopped rattling, bounces straight back with birdie at 12. Of course he does. You have to love the energy of this guy. He’s +2.
Collin Morikawa gives himself a great chance of matching the course record! He splits the fairway with his drive, then eases his second pin high to eight feet. He receives a deserved ovation as he walks up to the green. A taste of what’s to come for him on Sunday afternoon?
A double-bogey five for the ever-entertaining Tyrrell Hatton at the par-three 11th. As he storms off the green in high dudgeon, burning with the heat of a thousand suns, he points a forensic finger towards someone and states: “That is absolute fucking bollocks.” Dreadful language, but what clear and crisp enunciation! The camera angle doesn’t make it clear who he’s talking to. If it’s his caddy, he deserves a clip around the lug. If it’s some yammering bampot in the gallery, or prematurely snappy camera operative, the notorious hothead’s latest meltdown is much more understandable. Still, won’t somebody think of the kids, etc., and so on.
Morikawa plays it relatively safe with his second at 17, making sure to find the front-centre of the green from the rough. He rolls his 30-foot putt up to tap-in distance, and he walks off to the 18th hoping for a birdie and a share of Nick Faldo and Payne Stewart’s course record. He remains at -9. Meanwhile at 9, birdies for playing partners Rory McIlroy and Cam Smith, who are now level par and -2 respectively.
Tommy Fleetwood is heading in the wrong direction. Seven pars to start, then a couple of bogeys. He hits the turn in 37, having slipped to -1 overall. The second of those bogeys, at 9, was slightly farcical. Chipping onto the green from the right, he hit past the hole, hoping the camber on the other side of the green would send his ball u-turning back. But he overcooked it, whistling it onto the very top of the bank, the ball staying put. From there, he does pretty well to limit the damage to one stroke.
A fine end to Ryan Fox’s round: birdie-birdie, and he signs for his second 68 of the week. He’s -4 and nicely placed going into Moving Day. He could certainly sell that finish to Collin Morikawa, who needs to replicate it if he’s to break the course record of 63 and equal Branden Grace’s all-time men’s major best of 62. Morikawa’s tee shot at 17 leaks into the first cut down the left, but avoids the dangerous stuff. He’s lost his rhythm off the tee over the last few holes.
Morikawa passes up his opportunity to bounce back with birdie. He remains at -9. His playing partner Corey Conners makes a two, though, and moves into the group at -4, alongside Emiliano Grillo, who very nearly drains an eagle putt from the centre of 14. Tony Finau meanwhile pars the last to set the seal on a fine 66.
-9: Morikawa (16)
-6: van Tonder (F), Oosthuizen
-5: Spieth, Harman
-4: Finau (F), Conners (16), Grillo (14), Hughes, Frittelli, Cink
Commercial break. “You might like to know that here in Japan, Ivor Robson is still appearing in commercials alongside Hideki Matsuyama, six years after he retired from his tee off announcer’s job,” writes Ivan Todd. Lovely! An audiobook definition of mellifluous, right there.
Matt Wallace – he of the earlier yips and operatic effs – fights his way back into contention spectacularly! Three birdies in four holes, at 13, 14 and now 16, have taken him up to -2 overall. Then in the group behind, Collin Morikawa responds to dropping his first stroke of the day by caressing his tee shot at the par-three 16th pin high. He’ll have an eight-foot look at a bounceback birdie.
Collin Morikawa’s perfect day comes to an end. His chip up from the fringe at 15 is pretty good, and he’s left with a four-footer to save his par. But putting is his notorious Achilles heel, and he pulls this one tamely wide left. It was always turning away apologetically. He slips back to -9, and now he requires two birdies if he’s to break the course record.
-9: Morikawa (15)
-6: van Tonder (F), Oosthuizen
-5: Spieth, Harman
-4: Finau (17), Hughes, Frittelli, Cink
Emiliano Grillo, having dropped a stroke at 11, responds with back-to-back birdies at 12 and 13. He rebounds to -3 and looks to be enjoying his golf. A wide smile and a wave to the gallery. Benjamin Hebert continues to have a shocker, though. A 66 yesterday, but out in 38 today, and another stroke goes at 13. He’s back at level par. France’s long wait for her first winner since Arnaud Massy in 1907 most likely goes on.
DRAMATIC BREAKING NEWS: Collin Morikawa misses a green! He can only gouge his second at 15 onto the fringe, front right. A good chance of getting up and down from there, mind. Meanwhile a birdie putt for Rory McIlroy at the par-five 7th rolls wide right. The real mistake was sending his second into a bunker to the right side of the green. He remains at +1, 11 shots off the lead.
For the third hole in a row, Morikawa hollers “No!” after hitting his drive. This one is pulled left, and looks like heading into one of the bunkers. It skips by, but nestles into the rough. As ever, much depends on the lie, though nothing’s stopped him yet.
Morikawa is going round with Corey Conners, who has been pretty quiet today by comparison. Out in one-over 36. Pars since the turn. But now the Canadian finds the centre of the par-five 14th in two, and rolls in the 12-foot eagle putt! He’s -3, nicely placed in relation to pretty much everyone in the field bar his playing partner. Morikawa strokes in his seventh birdie of the day, and if he pars his way home, he’ll be tying the course record set in 1993 by Nick Faldo and Payne Stewart. But the way he’s playing – and with a relatively easy last couple of holes – you’d have to think Branden Grace’s all-time men’s major record of 62, set at Birkdale four years ago, is in serious danger now!
-10: Morikawa (14)
-6: van Tonder (F), Oosthuizen
Morikawa is able to muscle his ball out of the deep rough down the left of 14 and over the Suez Canal. He’s left with 150 yards into the green, and so naturally eases his third straight towards the flag, the ball stopping five feet shy. This is an almost supernatural showcase of iron play.
Tony Finau makes it back-to-back birdies by absolutely steamrollering a long putt into the cup at 15. Fully recovered from that post-turn stumble, he’s back up to -4. Johannes Veerman meanwhile pars 18 and signs for a highly decent 68, though for a while it promised so much more. He’s -2.
As Collin Morikawa starts to think about a place in the history books, the game gets a little more difficult. Having scrambled well to save his par on 13, he now hooks his drive at the par-five 14th into thick oomska. From there, he might not be able to clear the Suez Canal running across the fairway; if that’s the case, he’ll be hitting his third into the green from the best part of 200 yards.
The German amateur Matthias Schmid has already played at the Open, missing the cut at Portrush two years ago. He’ll be in with a shout of the silver medal this time, though. He’s just shot a blemish-free 65, coming back in 31 strokes. At -1, he’ll definitely make the weekend.
Yep, in goes Morikawa’s par putt. That’s one hell of a save, and a textbook example of the benefits of taking your medicine. He remains three clear at the top on -9. Up on 17, Veerman makes his second bogey of the back nine and slips back to -2.
Johannes Veerman and Tony Finau had slipped backwards. But birdies at 16 and 14 respectively return the pair to -3. Ryan Fox has been repairing some damage as well; having dropped strokes at 2 and 5, he’s birdied 9 and now 12, and he’s -2 again. And speaking of salvage jobs: that man Morikawa wedges gorgeously to a couple of feet, and he’ll surely be walking off the 13th green on air, having saved his par.
So having said all that, Morikawa sends his drive at 13 into a deep bunker on the right side of the fairway. He can only take his medicine, which on this occasion is a mouthful of sand, consumed as he splashes out. Sorry, Collin. He can still get up and down from 100 or so, which as we’ve seen repeatedly today, is far from beyond him.
Collin Morikawa makes his birdie putt, and suddenly the lead is three. Thoughts turn to the record books. Should the Californian par his way home from here, he’ll sign for a 64. But there are plenty of chances, especially with the way Morikawa is dialling in these approaches. Nick Faldo and Payne Stewart both shot 63s here in 1993, while Branden Grace famously became the first male player to shoot 62 in a major at Birkdale in 2017. Par being just 70 here helps, of course, but – whisper, whisper – we could witness history early this afternoon.
-9: Morikawa (12)
-6: van Tonder (F), Oosthuizen
Rory responds! A cracking drive down 4, a wedge to eight feet, and a putt finally made. He’s back to +1. Exactly how much difference it’s going to make is moot, however, given the way Collin Morikawa is carrying on. He’s just spun his approach at 12 to four feet, and will have a great look at yet another birdie.
… Daniel van Tonder birdies 18 to sign for a 66! The 30-year-old debutant is playing some glorious, stress-free golf. A birdie-birdie finish. He’s home in 31 strokes. So far, he’s been unburdened by expectation, but now he’ll suddenly be wondering: can I become the fifth South African name on the Claret Jug, following Bobby Locke, Gary Player, Ernie Els and Louis Oosthuizen? Big day – and significantly later tee time, given he started at 6.46am today – coming up tomorrow!
-8: Morikawa (11)
-6: van Tonder (F), Oosthuizen
-5: Spieth, Harman
Collin Morikawa extends his lead! He creams his tee shot at the par-three 11th over the flag. He’s left with a fairly straight 12 footer coming back for his birdie. He hits it with confidence, walking it in. No, striding it in. That’s a big-leggy swagger. His putter is warming up nicely, and at the moment it’s difficult to see any way through his armour. This is a thrilling display of golf! Updated leader board coming up, because …
As poorly as McIlroy has started, he’s within his rights to bemoan his luck too. He sends a lovely tee shot into the par-three 3rd. A couple of inches longer, and he’d have stayed on the top tier of the green, the ball making its way from the hump on the left towards the pin, setting up a birdie chance. But it topples back down the ridge, and he’s got to settle for a two-putt par from distance. The fine margins of golf.
Tony Finau’s distinctly average putting is letting him down yet again. Another short one missed, this time at 12, to file alongside yesterday’s mistake at 18 and the error a while back at 12. After such a great front nine, he’s stumbled since the turn, dropping back to -2.
Another birdie for Daniel van Tonder! This one comes at 17, reward for a mammoth tee shot, and a nicely rolled 15-foot left-to-right breaker. He walks off the green with a smile as wide as the English Channel. He’s already won this season on this, his debut season on the European Tour, pipping Jazz Janewattananond to the Kenya Savannah Classic after a final-round 64. He’s not going to match the achievement of Ben Curtis by winning the Open at Sandwich on debut, is he?! Rule nothing out, because he’s going along very nicely, and could even be a couple of shots better off had his putter not cooled for a while back there.
-7: Morikawa (10)
-6: Oosthuizen
-5: van Tonder (17), Spieth, Harman
This is really poor from Rory McIlroy. From prime position in the centre of the 2nd fairway, he sends an awful wedge down a swale to the right of the green, then sends a heavy-handed chip 12 feet past the hole. He can’t make the putt coming back, it’s never dropping, and that’s a bogey-bogey start, when exactly the other thing was required. That was so avoidable, three awful strokes in a row. He’s +2.
Collin Morikawa is the new leader of the Open! He screws his approach at 9 to a couple of feet, and tidies up without fuss. Back-to-back birdies, and he hits the turn in 31. He’s left a couple out there, as well. This move will send a shudder through the field. The only question mark over Morikawa’s game is his slightly average putting, but his irons are so creamy and close right now, that’s barely a factor.
-7: Morikawa (9)
-6: Oosthuizen
-5: Spieth, Harman
-4: van Tonder (16), Hughes, Frittelli, Cink
Turns out Webb Simpson’s early scrambling successes weren’t a promising sign at all. The escapology skills have left him; the loose play back up the hole has not. Bogey at 5, followed by double at 6, and the 2012 US Open champion – whose 66 yesterday in testing conditions was as good a round as any – needs to get his act together, and quick.
Justin Thomas also moves to +1, though he’ll be feeling much better about it than McIlroy. He steers in a big left-to-right breaker on 2 for a birdie that goes some way to repairing the damage of yesterday’s 72. Johannes Veerman sheds his first stroke of the day at 13, slipping back to -2. And it’s another dropped shot for Benjamin Hebert, who continues to head in the wrong direction after yesterday’s 66; bogey at 7, and he’s now -2.
A dismal start for Rory McIlroy. His opening drive flies into deep trouble down the right. He nevertheless powers a fine second into the green, but the shortest club lets him down once again. A three-putt bogey, and he slips to +1. He saunters off the green tossing his ball insouciantly in the air, much like a 1930s Hollywood spiv would repeatedly flick a coin, but the act’s fooling nobody. That will hurt, especially after the manner in which he clawed things back to level par yesterday evening. He’s +1.
Collin Morikawa grabs a share of the lead! A perfectly positioned tee shot at 8, followed by one of those easy irons into the heart of the green. He rolls in a 15-footer for birdie, and the 2020 PGA champion joins Louis Oosthuizen at the top of the tree. Meanwhile Daniel van Tonder misses a four-footer on 15 to move to within a shot, and Tony Finau drops his first stroke of the day, coming up short at 10, then racing a long putt five feet past the hole, and failing to make the one coming back.
-6: Morikawa (8), Oosthuizen
-5: Spieth, Harman
-4: van Tonder (15), Hughes, Frittelli, Cink
-3: Veerman (12), Finau (10), Hebert (6), Simpson (4), Fleetwood (1), Sullivan, Harding,m Willett, Senior, Rose, Scheffler, An
Another birdie for the in-form Johannes Veerman. This one comes at 12, and the 29-year-old American – whose father is Dutch, to explain the name – moves to -3. Meanwhile it’s also been a good morning so far for Emiliano Grillo; the 28-year-old from Argentina has birdied 2, 5 and 6. A dropped shot at 5 is his only misstep so far, and he’s -2.
Daniel van Tonder is playing in his first Open, and thoroughly enjoying it. He’d started yesterday’s round slowly, with an opening bogey, but set it alight by holing out from the 5th fairway for birdie, and ending the day with a fine 68. He’s gathering momentum again today; after bogey at 5, he’s birdied 8, 12 and now 14 to move to -4. He’s alongside Tony Finau, who absurdly has just one win on the PGA Tour, but ten top-ten finishes in the majors. The big man has ripped through the opening nine holes this morning, picking up shots at 3, 5, 8 and 9. He turns in 31, and is -4 overall.
-6: Oosthuizen
-5: Morikawa (7), Spieth, Harman
-4: van Tonder (14), Finau (9), Simpson (3), Hughes, Frittelli, Cink
Rickie Fowler is the third member of MacIntyre’s group. He sends his second to 12 feet, then seriously overcooks the birdie putt. But happily the popular Californian makes the one coming back to remain at -1. Schauffele limits the damage of his greedy second to bogey, thanks to a lovely soft-handed chip from the back of the green; he’s level par. And finally MacIntyre tidies up for his birdie and rises to +1, his hopes growing of following in the footsteps of compatriot Sandy Lyle, a winner here in 1985.
There’s only one Scottish player in the field. Bob MacIntyre’s disappointing opening round of 72 means he’s got a battle on his hands if he’s to become the first Caledonian winner of the Open since Paul Lawrie lifted the Claret Jug at Carnoustie in 1999 … but splitting the fairway with his opening drive and screeching his wedge to three feet is some statement of intent. He’s going round with Xander Schauffele, who illustrates the sagacity of Webb Simpson’s earlier medicine-taking par save by trying to find the green from an awful lie and failing to escape the rough. Trouble here.
On 2, Webb Simpson finds himself out of position again; he scrambles his par again. A jittery or inspiring start, depending on how you view the content ratio of your glass. He’s still -4. Meanwhile a chip-in birdie on 13 for Jazz Janewattananond. The 25-year-old Thai – hotly tipped but yet to win on the European Tour – has missed the cut at both of his previous Open appearances. At -2 both for his round today and overall, he’s in decent nick to make it this time.
Meltdown Corner (No2 in an ongoing series). The 2018 champ Francisco Molinari had been going along very nicely. A 68 yesterday, followed by birdie at 1 this morning. But he’s not had a good time at the par-threes today. A bogey at three, followed by a disaster at 6. Aiming straight for the flag, he leaves his tee shot a couple of yards short and in the pot bunker. His first attempt to escape fails, and he’s left closer to the face. His second slaps into that face and plugs even closer, on the upslope. He’s forced to bash out sideways, and ends up with an extremely ugly quadruple-bogey seven. One of those rare moments when a major winner experiences the everyday existential agony of the club golfer. Poor Molinari crashes down the standings to +2.
Meltdown Corner (No1 in an ongoing series). Matt Wallace runs hot when things aren’t going well, and having just missed a glorious birdie opportunity on 5, he now reacts to another short chance horseshoeing out at the par-three 6th with a 100-decibel eff word, generated using very many chest muscles and full capacity of both lungs. His caddy pointedly stays at a respectful distance. Wallace stays at +1; he really should be -1.
A stunning opening par for Webb Simpson. The 2012 US Open champ shot 66 yesterday, but hoicks his tee shot at 1 into thick rough. He takes his medicine, chipping out sideways, but then gets up and down from 100 yards to save his bacon. He remains at -4.
It’s not as warm as yesterday, but the wind’s down a little, so expect some good scoring today. Collin Morikawa certainly looks in the mood to take advantage of conditions: he lands his drive at 5 on Position A on the fairway, then clips a glorious second to three feet. In goes the putt, and he’s now just one off the lead.
-6: Oosthuizen
-5: Morikawa (5), Spieth, Harman
-4: Hughes, Frittelli, Cink, Simpson
-3: Hebert (3), Sullivan, Harding, Willett, Senior, Rose, Scheffler, An, Siem, Fleetwood
A slow start for Matt Wallace, who has been threatening to make a big breakthrough for some time now, without ever getting himself properly involved at the business end of a major. The 31-year-old from England follows his par 70 yesterday by dropping a shot this morning at 3. He should have picked it back up at 5, having steered a low, fizzing iron to four feet, but he shoves his putt to the right and taps in for an ultimately disappointing par. He remains at +1.
A nice brisk start for Tony Finau. Birdies at 3 and 5, and he joins the group at -2. He’ll be seriously ruing that double-bogey on 18 last night; bogeys happen, but missed tiddlers that compound the problem hurt. Back on 4, Collin Morikawa finds the rough down the left, but punches a clever second into the front of the green, using the bumps and contours to bring his ball round to 12 feet. Had he tried to pitch that on, it’d have most likely bounced off the back. Smart links golf. Sadly his putt slides by, though it’s not an egregious miss, the ball shaves the lip. Shame, that approach deserved birdie. He remains at -4.
Royal St George’s has thrown up some shock winners over the years: Darren Clarke, Ben Curtis, Bill Rogers. Should 29-year-old Johannes Veerman prevail this week, he’d certainly fall into that category. He’s never won on the European Tour, and is playing in the Open for the first time this week, but after yesterday’s solid but uneventful 70, has birdied 3 and 6 this morning to move to -2. Thing is, though, he’s bang in form, coming off a career-best third-placed finish at the Irish Open, the result that earned him his place here. He also shot 65 at the Scottish Open last Sunday for another top-ten finish. Not a bad time to find your best stuff. At Sandwich, you never know.
A couple of very early moves. Collin Morikawa – hotly tipped by the cognoscenti on account of his sweet iron striking, providing his sometimes iffy flat stick doesn’t let him down – birdied the opening hole this morning to move a couple off the pace. He’s currently -4 overall through 3. Benjamin Hebert, however, coming off the back of yesterday’s superb 66, has dropped one at the 1st.
-6: Oosthuizen
-5: Spieth, Harman
-4: Morikawa (3), Hughes, Frittelli, Cink, Simpson
-3: Hebert (1), Sullivan, Harding, Willett, Senior, Rose, Scheffler, An, Siem, Fleetwood
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to our coverage of the second round of the 149th Open Championship. Louis Oosthuizen leads the way after an opening 64, but some big names are in hot pursuit. Here’s how the top of the leader board looked as dawn broke this morning …
-6: Oosthuizen
-5: Spieth, Harman
-4: Hughes, Frittelli, Cink, Hebert, Simpson
-3: Sullivan, Harding, Willett, Senior, Rose, Scheffler, An, Morikawa, Siem, Fleetwood
