Key events
Joaquin Niemann – who ends up with a double bogey that clatters him back to +1 – is going round with Brian Harman. The 2023 champion splits the fairway with his opening shot, then fires a 138-yard dart straight at the pin. Three feet shy. In goes the putt – he made 58 of 59 from inside ten feet on his way to victory at Hoylake, according to Sky Sports – and with a game and mindset road-tested at the Open, you wouldn’t put a second Claret Jug in three years past the ice-cool Georgian. He’s -3.
Joaquin Niemann is the hottest property on the LIV Golf tour. He’s won four times on it this calendar year already. He’s also registered his first top-ten finish at a major, tying for eighth place at Quail Hollow in the PGA. The 26-year-old Chilean shot 70 yesterday, and is surely primed to take a tilt at the title. So … and you know where this is heading … what does he do? Flay his tee shot at 1 out of bounds down the left. An iron for safety as well. Not the start one of the best golfers in the world was looking for.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout rejoins the group atop the leaderboard. Birdie at the par-five 2nd, which is playing a little easier today: an average of 4.67 to yesterday’s 4.846. Still, you’ve got to execute, and that’s what he does, by chipping to six-and-a-half feet and tidying up. Birdie for his playing partner Rasmus Højgaard too, and the Dane moves to within a shot of the lead. The pair follow those birdies with fuss-free pars at the par-three 3rd.
-4: Bezuidenhout (3), English, JS Olesen, Li, Fitzpatrick
-3: R Højgaard (3), Hatton, Jordan, Scheffler, Kaewkanjana
-2: Leishman (11), Fowler (8), Rai (1), Harman, McNealy, Rose, Glover, T Kim, N Højgaard, Westwood
The 2011 PGA champion Keegan Bradley shot a decent one-over 72 yesterday. He’s just started his second round by reaching the par-five 2nd in two, then knocking in a 17-footer for the first eagle of the morning. Bradley is chasing Open glory while winning events on the PGA Tour – he recently pipped Tommy Fleetwood to the Travelers Championship – and battling to qualify for the US Ryder Cup team, which he will also captain. Reports that this golfing polymath made his eagle while riding a unicycle, playing blues harmonica, putting the finishing touches to his first novel, and literally juggling (batons, on fire, naturally) have yet to be checked and verified. He’s -1.
Another birdie for Marc Leishman! He wedges his approach at 10 from 116 yards to ten feet, then walks in the gentle right-to-left slider. That’s three birdies in four holes, and he’s right in the mix. It’s a bit surprising that he’s the only player making a serious move this morning, with the wind speed relatively low and Portrush’s defences down.
-4: English, JS Olesen, Li, Fitzpatrick
-3: Bezuidenhout (1), Hatton, Jordan, Scheffler, Kaewkanjana
-2: Leishman (10), Fowler (7), R Højgaard (1), Rai (1), Harman, McNealy, Rose, Glover, T Kim, N Højgaard, Westwood
Portrush. Wolverhampton’s finest. It’s going to scan, isn’t it?
So could these be the fields of Aaron Rai? The 30-year-old from ATVLand broke through on the PGA Tour last year by winning the storied Wyndham Championship – the storied Greater Greensboro Open in sponsor’s clothes – and is slowly making his presence felt at the majors. No top-ten finishes yet, but this year’s run of tied-27th at the Masters, tied-19th at the PGA and tied-33rd at the US Open shows steady progress. Throw in a tie for 14th at this year’s Players, and it’s about time for a proper major statement. A 69 yesterday was the way to start. Rai has followed that up by shaving the cup with a birdie attempt on 1. He’s -2 overall.
The big move of the morning is being made by Marc Leishman. The 41-year-old Aussie came so close to winning this title at the home of golf in 2015, losing a play-off at St Andrews to Zach Johnson. He’s also got a tie for fifth at Hoylake the year before, and a tie for sixth at Birkdale in 2017, to his name. But he’s not done much since, and he’s playing in his first Open since 2022. He missed the cut when competing here at Portrush last time, in 2019, but is looking to do something positive this time around. Birdies at 2, 7 and 9 this morning, and he’s out in 33 strokes. He’s sprung 50 places up the leaderboard to -1.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout chips back out from the thick rough at 1. No heroics. It’s the percentage play, and he demonstrates how smart the decision is by wedging his third from 118 yards to nine feet. OK, so he can’t make the par putt, but the point stands. An opening bogey that was on the cards when his tee shot diced with the OB down the right … but he nearly got away with it. He’s -3. He’s going round with Rasmus Højgaard, who late on yesterday matched his twin Nicolai’s earlier two-under score of 69. Par for Rasmus, and at last we’ve got good reason to update the leaderboard.
-4: English, JS Olesen, Li, Fitzpatrick
-3: Bezuidenhout (1), Hatton, Jordan, Scheffler, Kaewkanjana
-2: Fowler (6), R Højgaard (1), Rai, Harman, McNealy, Rose, Glover, T Kim, N Højgaard, Westwood
Birdie for Rickie Fowler at 5. He sends his tee shot through the front door of the green at the downhill par-four, and though he doesn’t get particularly close with his first putt from 70 feet, rattles in his second from ten feet or so. That’s repaired the damage copped at 3, and he’s back to -2.
Portrush owes Christiaan Bezuidenhout a little something. When he was two-and-a-half, Bezuidenhout found a pop bottle on the street and had a swig. It contained rat poison. A nearby adult spotted what was happening and rushed the poor little lad to hospital, where his stomach was pumped, but the poison had already affected his nervous system, and the long-term effect was a stutter and anxiety. Fast forward to 2014, and when competing in the British Amateur at Portrush, he was picked for a random drug test. He informed the tester that he was on beta-blockers, taken since his teenage years to treat the anxiety and help with his public speaking. That led to a two-year suspension, later reduced to nine months when it was determined the beta-blockers were clearly not being used to enhance his performance. Bezuidenhout stopped taking the drug, and since then, the wrongs righted, has become a fixture on the European and PGA Tours. Now 31, he’s never quite managed to get it going at the majors … that is until a tie for 12th at last month’s US Open. And yesterday’s 67 has given him joint ownership of the first-round lead. He takes rescue off the 1st tee this morning, and Portrush gives him a little payback, catching the hybrid he carves towards the right-hand OB with some thick grass. Not ideal by any means, but a gnarly lie is better than teeing up a second ball.
You can’t win the Open in the first two days; you can certainly play your way out of it, though. Here’s Bud Cauley, the 35-year-old from Florida playing in just his second Open, 12 years after finishing in a tie for 32nd at Muirfield. A 72 yesterday, and he’d have been dreaming of making a move ahead of Moving Day, and enjoying his weekend. But things can go awry quicksmart, and after sending his opening tee shot OB on the left, he finds a native area down the same side, then more thick grass on the other, and ends up with a triple-bogey to start. He’s now +4, and already concentrating more on giving the cut the bodyswerve.
A couple of amateurs going well this morning. Connor Graham, 18, from Blairgowrie in Scotland but studying at Texas Tech, is being mentored by the 1999 champion Paul Lawrie. After yesterday’s 73, he’s already got a couple of birdies this morning, the latest at 6, where he curls in a 12-footer to move to +1 overall. Weekend participation, and with it the chance to win the Silver Medal for low amateur, is within reach. See also Ethan Fang, his conqueror at this year’s Amateur Championship; the young American is +2 overall after birdies this morning at 2 and 3.
Sergio bounces back from that miserable double-bogey start. He creams a fairway wood into the front of the par-five 2nd green; two putts later, it’s a birdie and he’s back to level par. Then on the par-three 3rd, he sends a gentle draw to 15 feet, and very nearly makes the birdie putt, but the ball dies to the low side on its final turn, not quite reaching the hole. A par, though, on a hole that’s already averaging 3.25 today.
While Adam Scott was shipping a double bogey on the par-three 3rd, his playing partner Rickie Fowler was also in bother. He’d over-clubbed too, sending his tee shot on a perfect line over the flag, but over the back of the green as well. Fowler only needed one shot to get back up onto the dancefloor, but he couldn’t make his putt from eight feet to scramble his par. He drops to -1.
Adam Scott should have won this Championship in 2012. But he bogeyed holes 69 through 72 at Lytham, handing the Claret Jug to Ernie Els on a silver platter. What the genial Scott would give to play that stretch again. Ah well, he’ll always have Augusta National, nine months later. What the Big Easy would give for a green jacket. Scott started this morning on +1 after a 72 yesterday, but he’s going backwards now, after a clumsy double bogey, his first of the week, at the short par-three 3rd. He over-clubs, his ball disappearing down the swale at the back … then he under-chips, his ball coming back towards his feet. A second chip doesn’t get close, and two putts later, he’s +3 and prodding the green with his putter in annoyance, not so genial right now.
Sergio Garcia missed a five-foot putt to win the Open at Carnoustie in 2007. He had his chance to win at Hoylake in 2014 too, but failed to get out of a bunker at the par-three 15th and that was that too. At 45 years of age, it’s not too late to right those wrongs, and yesterday’s opening round of 70 offered hope. But he’s started his second round horrendously, tugging his opening tee shot into the thick stuff down the left, finding a greenside bunker, failing to get onto the green, chipping short, then failing to make the eight-footer that remains for bogey. A double, and those shoulders are slumping already. We’ve seen this story too often before. Oh Sergio. He’s +1.
So much for Zach Johnson’s fast start. A three-putt bogey on the par-five 2nd. That’s careless. The 2nd proved one of the easiest holes on the course yesterday, offering up 40 birdies, four eagles, and just 20 bogeys or worse. An average of 4.846, so if all of that is anything to go by, the 2015 champ has just given up nearly 1.2 shots to the field with three swishes of the flat stick from just 14 feet. He’s back to -1.
A good moment for Repubblica Italiana on the greens. Matteo Manassero – who as a 16-year-old played with Tom Watson in the first two rounds of the aforementioned 2009 Open, en route to finishing in a tie for 13th, becoming the youngest-ever winner of the Silver Medal awarded to the leading amateur – makes a 25-footer on the par-three 3rd. Meanwhile his compatriot Francesco Molinari walks in a putt of similar distance on the par-five 2nd. A pair of birdies. Manassero is currently +2, Molinari level par.
Zach Johnson is part of a small but significant footnote in Open history. In winning the 2015 staging at St Andrews, he became only the fourth man, after Bob Martin, Willie Park Jr. and Seve Ballesteros to win the Open on a Monday. The 49-year-old Iowan has started well in his quest for a garden-variety Sunday victory this time, with a fine opening round of 70 yesterday. He’s off to a flyer today, too, sending a gentle draw into the 1st green, from 156 yards to 16 feet, taking the deep bunker at the front out of play, then tidying up for birdie, the first of the morning so far. There were only 12 birdies on the opening hole yesterday, so this is no mean feat. He’s now -2.
Rickie Fowler has had plenty of near misses in the majors. His record in 2014 pretty much tells the whole story: a tie for fifth at the Masters, a tie for third at the PGA, and second-place finishes at both the US Open and Open. He’s also competed for the Claret Jug on the final day at Sandwich in 2011 … and here at Portrush in 2019. There would be few more popular winners not named Rory, Shane or Tom, and the 36-year-old Californian has started his week well with a round of 69 yesterday. He’s off to a good start today, as well, cracking his opening tee shot down the track. He’s -2.
The weather shouldn’t misbehave as much as it did yesterday. It’s forecast to be overcast for most of the day, with some sun perhaps breaking through in the afternoon. The afternoon might also see some heavy rain at times. Chances always of scattered showers, naturally. The wind shouldn’t be too bothersome, though the occasional gust of up to 18 mph is possible. As for the weekend: it’s expected to be brighter on Saturday, and wetter on Sunday. But no risk of the thunderstorms that were threatened yesterday but thankfully didn’t materialise. We’ll get through Sunday.
Another erstwhile champion takes to the tee. Francesco Molinari became the first Italian to lift the Claret Jug at Carnoustie in 2018. This morning he displays a bit of the moxie that was required back then to see off Tiger Woods, Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy on the final day, bashing his drive down the left side of the fairway. The ball creeps into the rough, but that’s more than good enough with those internal OB markers a mere 15 yards either side of the fairway. Molinari is +1 after yesterday’s opening round of 72.
The first shot of the second day of the Open is hit by the 2009 champion golfer Stewart Cink. The US star didn’t get the acclaim he deserved upon winning at Turnberry back in the day, the unavoidable cost of beating the legendary Tom Watson in a play-off. Watson was 59, agonisingly close to breaking all sorts of records, and so Cink was cast in the role of dream-snatcher and heart-breaker, all for having the temerity to win the biggest tournament of his life with some brilliant golf. Well, he gets the love he deserves now with a warm round of applause as he sends his opening tee shot down the middle. A film of Cink’s 2009 triumph and its aftermath, Underdogs, is on Sky Sports and well worth your time. Warning: Cink’s disarming charm may make you feel a tad guilty. Anyway, now 52, Cink is +4, with a bit of work to do if he’s to avoid the cut this time round.
Preamble
… and we’re back. Less than nine hours ago, the first day of the 153rd edition of the Open Championship came to a close. Now we’re up and running again! Friday promises to be another Homeric odyssey, and we’ll be blogging about it ♫♪ all day looooooonng♫♪. Here’s how the very top of a star-studded leaderboard looked at the end of play last night …
-4: JS Olesen, Li, Fitzpatrick, Bezuidenhout, English
-3: Jordan, Scheffler, Kaewkanjana, Hatton
-2: N Højgaard, Westwood, Fowler, R Højgaard, Rai, Harman, McNealy, Rose, Glover, T Kim
-1: Mickelson, Burns, Rahm, Lowry, Axelsen, Z Johnson, Garcia, Hidalgo, Leonard, Niemann, McIlroy, Finau
E: J Smith, Kanaya, Schauffele, Svensson, Hillier, Novak, Burmester, McCarty, Im, Langasque, MacIntyre, Kimsey, Kokrak
… and here are the tee times for the second round (GBR & IRE unless stated, all times local, (a) denotes amateurs). It’s on!
0635 Stewart Cink (USA), Marc Leishman (Aus), Matteo Manassero (Ita)
0646 (a) Connor Graham, Francesco Molinari (Ita), Jesper Svensson (Swe)
0657 Daniel Brown, Daniel Hillier (Nzl), Zach Johnson (USA)
0708 (a) Ethan Fang (USA), Rickie Fowler (USA), Adam Scott (Aus)
0719 Laurie Canter, Sergio Garcia (Spa), Elvis Smylie (Aus)
0730 Andrew Novak (USA), Matthieu Pavon (Fra), Matt Wallace
0741 Dean Burmester (Rsa), Rikuya Hoshino (Jpn), Davis Thompson (USA)
0752 (a) Sebastian Cave, Shugo Imahira (Jpn), Si-Woo Kim (Kor)
0803 Bud Cauley (USA), Michael Kim (USA), John Parry
0814 Angel Hidalgo (Spa), Matt McCarty (USA), Shaun Norris (Rsa)
0825 Daniel Berger (USA), Keegan Bradley (USA), Sung-Jae Im (Kor)
0836 Christiaan Bezuidenhout (Rsa), Rasmus Hoejgaard (Den), Romain Langasque (Fra)
0847 Harry Hall, Aaron Rai, Sahith Theegala (USA)
0903 Thriston Lawrence (Rsa), Justin Leonard (USA), Antoine Rozner (Fra)
0914 Chris Kirk (USA), Carlos Ortiz (Mex), JT Poston (USA)
0925 Brian Harman (USA), Maverick McNealy (USA), Joaquin Niemann (Chi)
0936 Tyrrell Hatton, Russell Henley (USA), Min-Woo Lee (Aus)
0947 Bryson DeChambeau (USA), Robert MacIntyre, Justin Rose
0958 Ludvig Aaberg (Swe), Viktor Hovland (Nor), Jordan Spieth (USA)
1009 Tommy Fleetwood, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas (USA)
1020 Harris English (USA), Tony Finau (USA), Nick Taylor (Can)
1031 Lucas Glover (USA), Joo-Hyung Kim (Kor), Jhonattan Vegas (Ven)
1042 Brian Campbell (USA), John Catlin (USA), (a) Frazer Jones
1053 (a) Cameron Adam, Nathan Kimsey, Jason Kokrak (USA)
1104 Curtis Knipes, Curtis Luck (Aus), Daniel Young
1115 George Bloor, OJ Farrell, Young-Han Song (Kor)
1126 Padraig Harrington, Nicolai Hoejgaard (Den), Tom McKibbin
1147 KJ Choi (Kor), Guido Migliozzi (Ita), Louis Oosthuizen (Rsa)
1158 (a) Justin Hastings (Cay), Marco Penge, Cameron Smith (Aus)
1209 Jason Day (Aus), Jacob Skov Olesen (Den), Taylor Pendrith (Can)
1220 Phil Mickelson (USA), Ryan Peake (Aus), Daniel van Tonder (Rsa)
1231 Byeong-Hun An (Kor), Max Greyserman (USA), Niklas Noergaard (Den)
1242 Dustin Johnson (USA), Haotong Li (Chn), Jordan Smith
1253 Darren Clarke, Lucas Herbert (Aus), Davis Riley (USA)
1304 Mikiya Akutsu (Jpn), Julien Guerrier (Fra), Chun-An Yu (Tai)
1315 Thomas Detry (Bel), Chris Gotterup (USA), Lee Westwood
1326 Patrick Cantlay (USA), Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Cameron Young (USA)
1337 (a) Filip Jakubcik (Cze), Matthew Jordan, Thorbjoern Olesen (Den)
1348 Stephan Jaeger (Ger), Sebastian Soederberg (Swe), Henrik Stenson (Swe)
1404 Martin Couvra (Fra), Kristoffer Reitan (Nor), Adrien Saddier (Fra)
1415 Takumi Kanaya (Jpn), (a) Bryan Newman (Rsa), Justin Walters (Rsa)
1426 Matthew Fitzpatrick, Ryan Fox (Nzl), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn)
1437 Akshay Bhatia (USA), Ben Griffin (USA), Sepp Straka (Aut)
1448 Sam Burns (USA), Brooks Koepka (USA), Aldrich Potgieter (Rsa)
1459 Jon Rahm (Spa), Xander Schauffele (USA), JJ Spaun (USA)
1510 Shane Lowry, Collin Morikawa (USA), Scottie Scheffler (USA)
1521 Wyndham Clark (USA), Corey Conners (Can), Tom Hoge (USA)
1532 Nicolas Echavarria (Col), Denny McCarthy (USA), Patrick Reed (USA)
1543 Ryggs Johnston (USA), Matthias Schmid (Ger), (a) Richard Teder (Est)
1554 John Axelsen (Den), Darren Fichardt (Rsa), Dylan Naidoo (Rsa)
1605 Oliver Lindell (Fin), Jesper Sandborg (Swe), Justin Suh (USA)
1616 Sadom Kaewkanjana (Tha), Riki Kawamoto (Jpn), Sampson Zheng (Chn)
