Commanding Scheffler leads from Fitzpatrick at rain-hit Open

Round two leaderboard for The Open

-10 Scheffler (US), -9 Fitzpatrick (Eng), -8 Harman (US), Li (Chn)

Selected: -5 R Hojgaard (Den), Hatton (Eng), MacIntyre (Sco), English (US), Gotterup (US), -4 N Hojgaard (Den), -3 Bradley (US), McIlroy (NI), -2 Rose (Eng), Aberg (Swe)

At halfway through The Open, Scottie Scheffler battled the worst of the torrential downpours that battered Royal Portrush to shoot a commanding 64 and put one-shot ahead of Matt Fitzpatrick.

Eight birdies and one bogey were part of the world number one’s PGA Championship advance to 10 under with the exception of his lowest round in a major.

Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, recorded an impressive 66 with eight birdies as well.

On eight under, Brian Harman and Li Haotong from China are third.

In a group of five under, including Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard, Scotland’s Tyrrell Hatton, Scotland’s Tyrrell Hatton, and his fellow American Harris English, both of whom won the surprise Scottish Open last week.

When he was asked if he would have the same drink after Friday’s game, he responded, “Be rude not to.” Three, in my opinion, is the magic number.

Rory McIlroy, the second-ranked player, struggled to get past the 69 to stay in contention after three under.

Keegan Bradley, the captain for the US Ryder Cup, continues to play at a level that makes it doubtful whether or not he will play well in the September game against Europe at Bethpage Black.

Shane Lowry, an Irishman who won the R&amp, A, was penalized by organisers by two strokes after his ball was found to have moved in the rough on the 12th hole during a practice swing.

He accepted the penalty, which placed him on par with the championship and just past the final two rounds, which sees the top 70 plus tie play.

He expressed his disappointment that there aren’t more camera angles on it.

He kept his razor-sharp focus on Friday, with a birdie on the first as the rain slammed down, after an opening 68.

The first hole is sunny when we get there. Then suddenly, as you look around, it becomes extremely dark and begins to pour rain,” he said.

You’re like, “boy, I wonder how long this will last.”

That set the tone for his day, which included a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth, which were followed by another on the 10th, which made it eight under.

Fitzpatrick was already climbing a good deal more heights an hour or so earlier. The Yorkshireman’s opening seven holes saw four birdies and shared the overnight lead with four under.

He was the first to reach 10 under, and four more came after him from the 10th. He lost a shot on the 14th after a short missed putt on the 17th, and his fine margins stung when the fine margins turned against him.

However, as he bravely holed a 24-foot par putt in the final round to stay nine under, cheers rang out.

Fitzpatrick said, “I felt like every aspect of my game was on.”

There is still a long way to go before I can win the golf tournament, according to the golfer.

After the rain, Scheffler used the softer, more receptive greens to convert three more birdie chances, including on the 16th and 17th, and edge clear, with afternoon gloom replacing evening sun.

He said, “Thankfully, it didn’t pour the entire time.” “We had four or five holes where the weather was really coming down,” said one participant.

With a bogey-free 65 earlier in the day, Harman’s resurrected memories of his 2023 Open victory at Royal Liverpool.

His charge had a second-round 65, which was a similar score to his on the Wirral coast.

Due to his propensity to kill and consume large game, Harman was nicknamed “the butcher of Hoylake” during his protracted march to the Claret Jug.

When questioned about his continued interest in hunting, he responded, “Yah, big hunter, big fisherman.”

I didn’t realize how outraged everyone was. I’ll pass out on the hill. I’ll sleep soundly at night like a baby.

On Friday, he birdied three of his opening seven holes and three more of his back nine from one of the toughest courses in the world.

Through the afternoon rain, Li, who almost gave up on the sport in 20 DP World Tour competitions in 2023, managed to post a 67th successive victory.

One of the eight left-handed players in this year’s Open field record, MacIntyre shot a second-round 66 with six birdies and his only missed shot was on the challenging par-three 16th.

The world number 14 made up for that bogey by birdieing from the 17th green with a 20-foot putt.

Hatton was his usual animated self when he combined four birdies and two bogeys in his 69, which elevated the Scot to the same score.

At the US Open, MacIntyre finished second behind JJ Spaun, who placed fourth overall.

I’m not afraid, I say. I won’t be back away. I’ll roll the dice if I have a chance. I feel as though I am capable enough and have a lot more confidence.

McIlroy and his Ryder Cup team-mate Ludvig Aberg missed a tiddler for birdie on the final hole, ending one under two under, but he kept his composure with a solid par.

Harry Hall and Justin Rose are also two under. Rose dropped his first championship shot on the par-three sixth after a bogey-free opening.

After losing a ball in a bush, he added three more shots on the eleventh, but two birdies prevented him from getting a 71.

In a 67, Hall, who is emerging as a surprise contender for Luke Donald’s European team, birdied seven holes and three bogeys.

Tommy Fleetwood, McIlroy’s playing partner, shot four birdies in his first seven holes to increase to two under.

Bryson DeChambeau had a chance to land an early flight back to the US after a seven-over 78 in round one. He made the cut on Friday, however, with a 65.

He claimed that he had declared his desire to return home after Thursday’s round.

However, when I woke up, I said, “I can’t give up.” My father had a saying that I should never give up.

I was proud of myself because I held on to myself and didn’t slam clubs or throw things like I wanted to during some emotionally challenging times.

After shooting a one-under-70, fellow American English is tied for fifth overall.

After his regular bagman Eric Larson was denied a visa after serving ten years in prison for drug offenses, he is using his putting coach Ramon Bescansa as his caddie this week.