Everything you need to know about day two in the west of Scotland.
Shane Lowry led from the front, Troon showed his best to pull off a comeback win and Max Homa demonstrated how much the 152nd British Open means to players on day two.
Here's everything you need to know about Friday's race at Royal Troon.
Lowry leads
Lowry will head into the weekend with a two-shot lead as he aims for a second Claret Jug. The Irishman, who won the British Open in 2019, shot a five-under 66 in the first round and a 69 on Friday to finish top of the final men's major of the year. In calmer conditions during the morning, he showed his experience by charting his course for much of the day, overcoming a double bogey on the 11th hole to make two birdies in his final three holes to finish seven under for the week. The closest to him were the British duo of Dan Brown and Justin Rose, who were five under. “I felt like I was out there, controlling my ball and doing the right things for the most part,” Lowry said. “And then when I got in a little bit of trouble, I felt like I finished the round really well. I'm happy with the day. Leading this tournament after two days, that's why you come here and that's why we come here.”
A tough day at the Ayrshire ground
Major championship golf is always going to be tough, and the second round was no different. While there was little rain on the second day, gusty winds picked up as the day wore on, which only added to the challenge as many of the top players battled hard. Only two players made it all day without a bogey, a distinction that belonged to Danish amateur Jacob Skov Olsen, who qualified by winning the prestigious amateur championship last month, and former world number one Jason Day. The best score of the day was a three-under 68, earned by six players: Billy Horschel, Jason Day, Patrick Cantlay, Gary Woodland, Jorge Campillo and Rose. Rose later said he went into “survival” mode as he took the most challenging conditions of the day in stride. “I think the weather was just on the edge of control today, which means you aim right of the pin and chip and see the ball hook,” he said. On the other hand, Japanese qualifier Aguri Iwasaki finished last on the list at 23 over par after shooting 91.
The returning children
Amid the tragic tale, there were also a few players who showed fightback that deserve recognition. After opening with a 9-over 80, Campillo's prospects looked bleak, but the three-time champion from Spain bounced back impressively with a 68 to make the cut at 6-over. A week after his dramatic victory at the National Open, Robert MacIntyre showed his mettle again, recovering from a loss of eight shots in the first four holes to make four birdies starting with the seventh hole to secure his place on the weekend. “After four holes, I was looking at 90,” MacIntyre said after his 75. “It would have been a shame if the wind had been blowing, and it wasn't. I was just very proud of myself and Mike (his caddie Burrow) was very proud of his work. He cleared my head a little bit and we got back to focus and then we got back to work.”
12 shots today is better π@jcampillogolf Will play the weekend with a 68 in tough conditions.#Open pic.twitter.com/YAhOGAJzYj
β DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) July 19, 2024
Homa played well and advanced
Making the cut in a major championship means a lot. You only had to look at the passion on Homa's face as he hit a 29-footer on the 18th green to get to 6 under. The American was making his fourth appearance at the tournament, having finished tied for 10th last year, and who knows what the world No. 15 will do after a weekend 72.
That's what it means. @Maxhoma He made birdie in his final round to continue fulfilling his Open dream.
clutch. pic.twitter.com/ANbcn3iOIc
β The Open (@TheOpen) July 19, 2024
Fight till the end
Rory McIlroy missed the cut for only the second time in his last 16 major championships. Despite his poor performance, he still fought hard and hit a wonderful chip shot from the greenside bunker on the 14th hole, rewarding the large number of fans who cheered him on. In the end, he finished the game with a score of 75, 11 strokes over par.
A fighter who fought to the very end.
Rory McIlroy holed out from a bunker on the 14th hole. pic.twitter.com/gjhfQTB1Z9
β The Open (@TheOpen) July 19, 2024