For Cameron Smith, a record. No player had made just 131 shots in two rounds of an open St Andrews championship until the man with the most famous golf mullet separated the Old Course. Smith’s Friday 64 offers him a two-time lead in the middle of the year-end. Now for the hard part.
If imposed here, he would become the first Australian since Greg Norman to lift the Claret Jug. There would be a touch of poetry tied to this situation, given R & A’s decision not to invite Norman to events for past champions earlier in the week of the tournament. As Norman’s position at the helm of LIV Golf attracts controversy, Smith has become his country’s most common big challenger.
“I’m a very impatient person,” Smith said. “Everyone who knows me hates me for it. So I have to do my best to be very patient, with the pace of the game and also with the golf course. Having to hit shots away from the needle sometimes hurts. the ego a little bit, but that’s what you have to do out there. “
His eagle putt at 14, converted from 60 feet, took him to minus 13 and gave him a margin of breath in the standings. Ideas that Cameron Young could feel the heat on the second day of his Open debut were unfounded, as he added a 69 to 64 on Thursday. Young will play alongside Smith in Saturday’s final group. “I’m just trying to make things very simple,” Young said.
Rory McIlroy’s inclination is for the spectacular. This was a day when the Northern Irishman, who was looking for a fifth major victory after almost eight years of trying, recovered magnificently from setbacks. The support ladder for him from the galleries as the shadows lengthened was really something. He would be the popular winner.
Rory McIlroy lines up a putt on green 17 as fans watch intently. Photography: Tom Jenkins / The Guardian
McIlroy sat two below during the day and eight below for the championship when he reached the eighth tee. A shot fired at the par-tres threatened to stop his momentum. Instead, he made birds on the 10th, 11th and 12th. There was a hit again with a bogey on the 15th. McIlroy’s response was a magnificent iron from 190 yards and hard on the famous 17. He converted from 15 feet to a bird.
He was disappointed not to make the most of the last chance, where he could only make a couple of four. However, third place at 10 below par after a 68 is the kind of position McIlroy will enjoy. Failure to place himself in the position of winning majors on enough occasions since August 2014 has upset the 33-year-old more than he expects victory. There is a calm around McIlroy right now that deduces that something special is about to happen.
“I’m making holes in everything and I’m thinking I could have been a better couple, but I’m in a good position for the weekend,” he said. “I have had two very, very solid rounds to open and I am happy with that. It would have been nice to make birds last, but I would have caught playing the last two on a bass. I did it the reverse way I thought I would. Just be patient and limit your mistakes.
“It simply came to our notice then. I felt almost in control of everything and I think the results and consistency have supported it. “
Quick guide
The Open: Second round standings
Show
-13 Cameron Smith (Australia)-11 Cameron Young (USA)-10 Rory McIlroy (NI), V Hovland (Nor)-9 D Johnson (USA)-8 T Hatton (English), S Scheffler (USA)-7 Gooch T (USA), Scott A (Australia), Cantlay P (USA), Theegala S (USA)-6 Kim SW (Kor), M Fitzpatrick (Eng), MW Lee (Aus), S Kaewkanjana (Thai), B Brown (Eng, a), L Herbert (Aus).-5 A Wise (USA), A Ancer (Mex), Y Katsuragawa (Jpn), D Carey (Ire), L Westwood (Eng), X Schauffele (USA), T Detry (Bel).
Other selected:-4 J Spieth (USA), J Rahm (Sp), P Reed (USA), V Perez (Fr), S Lowry (Ire), W Zalatoris (USA), J Rahm (Sp)-3 S Burns (USA), S Garcia (Sp), I Poulter (Eng), T Fleetwood (Eng), -2 B Horschel (USA), D Willett (Eng), J Kokrak (USA), J Thomas (USA)-1 P Casey (English), B DeChambeau (USA), H Mastsuyama (Jpn), J Niemann (Chi)Par F Molinari (It), R MacIntyre (Sco), T Finau (USA), K Kisner (USA)
Lost cut (selected):+1 Stenson H (Swe), Oosthuizen L (SA), Homa M (US), Simpson W (US), Donaldson J (Wal), Els E (SA), Morikawa C (US).+3 P Harrington (Ire), K Bradley (USA), J Daly (USA), Z Johnson (USA)+4 B Wiesberger (Aut), K Na (USA), B Koepka (USA)+5 P Mickelson (USA), S Cink (USA)+9 T Woods (USA) +10 D Clarke (IN)+12 D Duval (USA) +21 M Calcavecchia (USA)
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McIlroy’s third-day teammate will be his Ryder Cup teammate Viktor Hovland. The Norwegian sank with a wedge from the semi-route by a two to par-four 15th. Hovland’s 66 means he’s also down 10. McIlroy and Hovland are one ahead of Dustin Johnson, who improved on Thursday’s 68th by one.
Tyrrell Hatton, who has won the Dunhill Links Championship at this venue, jumped into the dispute at eight courtesy of a 66. He has world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler for the scoring company after 68 straight for to the latter. Talor Gooch, Adam Scott, Patrick Cantlay and Sahith Theegala are seven below. Scott still has the pain of not closing the 2012 Open, which he basically handed over to Ernie Els.
“You don’t need a lot of extra motivation in an Open Championship,” Scott said after age 65. “But every time I think about letting one slip through my hands, it hurts.
“It would be exciting if I did a great round tomorrow to start with the legitimate feeling that I am struggling, not only because I haven’t really been in that position for a significant amount of time, but also because I’ve put a hand in that jar and I would like to put two ”.
A moment of lightness came on tee 18 after Justin Thomas, who the day before overcame his pass into the same hole, made a perfect shot. “More improved,” said Shane Lowry, Thomas ’partner. “Shit shit!” replied the United States PGA champion laughing. Thomas and Lowry have two and four less, respectively.
Those who missed the cut alongside a tearful Tiger Woods included Brooks Koepka, who was previously such a feature in the majors, Padraig Harrington, Louis Oosthuizen, Henrik Stenson and defending champion Collin Morikawa.
Harrington’s outing plus three was especially surprising; it had been minus five for the tournament after two second-round holes. John Daly, in what is likely to be his last appearance at the Open, was able to survive over the weekend, but closed bogey, bogey, bogey.