For Cameron Smith, a record. No player had shot just 131 over two rounds at the St. Andrews Open until the man with the most famous mullet in golf smashed the Old Course. Smith’s Friday 64 gives him a two-stroke lead midway through the final major of the year. Now for the hard part.
If he prevails here, he will become the first Australian since Greg Norman to lift the marquee. There will be a touch of poetry in this situation, given the R&A’s decision not to invite Norman to events for past champions at the start of tournament week. As Norman’s position at the top of LIV Golf has been controversial, Smith has emerged as his country’s most regular major contender.
“I’m a really impatient person,” Smith said. “Everyone who knows me hates me for it. So I have to do my best to be really patient with the pace of play as well as the golf course. Having to hit shots away from the pin sometimes hurts the ego a bit, but that’s what you have to do here.”
His eagle putt on the 14th, converted from 60 feet, took him to 13-under and gave him breathing room in the standings. Thoughts Cameron Young might be feeling the heat on the second day of his Open debut proved unfounded as he added a 69 to a 64 on Thursday. Young will play alongside Smith in the final group on Saturday. “I’m just trying to keep things simple,” Young said.
Rory McIlroy’s penchant for the spectacular. It was a day in which the Northern Irishman, seeking a fifth major win after almost eight years of trying, bounced back superbly from setbacks. The scale of support for him from the galleries as the shadows lengthened was something big indeed. He will be the popular winner.
Rory McIlroy lines up a shot on the 17th green as fans watch intently. Photo: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian
McIlroy was two under for the day and eight under for the championship as he cruised to an 8th title. A missed putt on the par-3 threatened to halt his momentum. Instead, he bogeyed the 10th, 11th and 12th. Again there was a bogey tap on 15. McIlroy’s response was a magnificent iron from 190 yards and a rough on the famously tough 17th. He converted from 15 feet for birdie.
He was disappointed he didn’t make the most of the opportunity at the last, where he could only make a par four. Regardless, a 10-under-par third place after a 68 is a position McIlroy will relish. The failure to put himself in a position to win majors on enough occasions since August 2014 has irked the 33-year-old more than just waiting for victory. There is a calm around McIlroy right now that suggests something special is about to happen.
“I’m digging holes in everything and I’m leaving thinking I could have been a few times better, but I’m in a great position for the weekend,” he said. “I had two really, really solid rounds to start and I’m happy with that. It would be nice to play last, but I would accept playing the last two in one floor. I just did it the opposite way I thought I would. You just have to stay patient and limit mistakes there.
“It’s like that all year round. I felt pretty much in control of everything and I think the results and consistency back that up.”
A quick guide
The Open: second round ranking
show
-13 Cameron Smith (Australia)-11 Cameron Young (USA)-10 Rory McIlroy (NI), V Hovland (Nor)-9 D Johnson (USA)-8 T. Hatton (Eng), S. Scheffler (USA)-7 T Gooch (US), A Scott (Aus), P Cantlay (US), S Theegala (US)-6 Kim S.W. (Korea), M. Fitzpatrick (England), M.W. Lee (Australia), S. Kaevkanyana (Thailand), B. Brown (England, a), L. Herbert (Australia).-5 A Wise (USA), A Unser (Mexico), I. Katsuragawa (Japan), D. Carey (Ireland), L. Westwood (England), H. Schaufele (USA), T. Detry (Bell).
Selected others:-4 J Spieth (US), J Rahm (Sp), P Reed (US), V Perez (Fr), S Lowry (Ire), W Zalatoris (US), J Rahm (Sp)-3 S Burns (US), S García (Sp), I Poulter (Eng), T Fleetwood (Eng), -2 B Horschel (US), D Willett (Eng), J Kokrak (US), J Thomas (US)-1 P Casey (Eng), B DeChambeau (US), H Mastsuyama (Jpn), J Niemann (Chi)para F. Molinari (Italy), R. McIntyre (Champagne), T. Finau (USA), C. Kisner (USA)
Skipped clipping (selected):+1 H Stenson (Swe), L Oosthuizen (SA), M Homa (USA), W Simpson (USA), J Donaldson (Wal), E Els (SA), C Morikawa (USA).+3 P Harrington (Ire), K Bradley (US), J Daly (US), Z Johnson (US)+4 B Wiesberger (Aut), K Na (USA), B Koepka (USA)+5 P Mickelson (USA), S Cink (USA)+9 T Woods (USA) +10 D. Clarke (Levels)+12 Duvall (USA) +21 M Calcavecchia (USA)
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McIlroy’s partner from day three will be his Ryder Cup teammate Victor Hovland. The Norwegian pulled away with a wedge from semi-rough for two on the par-four 15th. Hovland’s 66 means he is also at 10 under. McIlroy and Hovland are one over Dustin Johnson, who improved by one on Thursday’s 68.
Tyrrell Hatton, who won the Dunhill Links Championship at the venue, entered the event on eight courtesy of a 66. He has world No. 1, Scottie Scheffler, for company on the scoreboard after back-to-back 68s for the last. Talor Gooch, Adam Scott, Patrick Cantlay and Sahith Theegala are seven under. Scott still carries the pain of failing to close out the 2012 Open, which he actually handed to Ernie Els.
“You don’t need a lot of extra motivation at the Open Championship,” Scott said after his 65th birthday. “But every time I think about letting someone slip through my hands, it hurts.
“It would be exciting if I shoot a really great round tomorrow to start off with a legitimate feeling of being in contention, not only because I haven’t really been in this position for a big in a while, but also because I’ve had one hand on this jug and I’d like to put two.
A moment of levity came on the 18th tee after Justin Thomas, who had parried his drive on the same hole a day earlier, hit a perfect putt. “A lot of improvement,” said Shane Lowry, Thomas’ partner. “Shut the hell up!” the US PGA champion replied with a laugh. Thomas and Lowry are two and four fewer, respectively.
Those who missed the cut alongside a tearful Tiger Woods included Brooks Koepka – once a feature in the majors – Padraig Harrington, Louis Oosthuizen, Henrik Stenson and defending champion Colin Morikawa.
Harrington’s plus-three performance was particularly impressive; he was five under for the tournament after two holes in the second round. John Daly, in what will likely be his last Open appearance, was in position to survive the weekend but closed scarecrow scarecrow.
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