The Open second round: Brian Harman takes big lead as Rory McIlroy stays in the mix

LEADERBOARD:

-10 Brian Harman (F)

-4 Jordan Spieth (9), Antoine Rozner (2), Tommy Fleetwood (7)

IRISH

-1 Rory McIlroy (F)

+2 Shane Lowry (6), Séamus Power (9)

+4 Pádraig Harrington (9)

+7 Alex Maguire (15)

+8 Darren Clarke (14)

That’s all from me today. In summary, Brian Harman shot the round of his life in windy conditions en route to a bogey-free 65. He has a six-shot lead as it stands. Aside from Harman’s wonder round, McIlroy’s grinding 70 looks better by the moment as the wind picks up, he is tied 14th. Power, Harrington and Lowry will fight to make the cut, while Maguire and Clarke look to be heading home early. Stay tuned for further reports from Philip Reid. Goodbye!

Philip Reid writes about the story of McIlroy’s fifth hole en route to his 70. McIlroy hit it into the bunker and may have feared the worst after what happened on Thursday. “In a display of compassion from the R&A, instructions had been given to the greenkeeping staff who had rose at dawn to reconfigure the sand in the bunkers to allow balls have a chance to at least roll back towards the centre of the trap rather than be glued to the turfed bank.

“‘It pitched on top of the bunker and came back in, and I thought it was going to be [up against the face]. I didn’t know at this point that they’d made that little gradual rise up into the face, and when I got up there, I was pleasantly surprised that I had a shot. I wouldn’t say there’s one person in the field that wouldn’t welcome that change,” said McIlroy.’

“What’s more, McIlroy made the most of his fortune with a brilliant bunker shot which nestled mere inches from the cup and gave him a tap-in birdie, one of three to go with two bogeys in a second round 70. That left the world number two on one-under-par 141 and moved him up the leaderboard to within sniffing distance of contention. Close enough to make those ahead look behind them, that’s for sure.”

[ Rory McIlroy takes his Open bunker break and turns it into a valuable birdie ]

Bogey for Fleetwood! He goes into the bunker at the 6th hole and he can’t get it up and down. Another double bogey at the 17th, this time by local Matthew Jordan.

The same score for Séamus Power, a disastrous double bogey on 8 after hitting out of bounds. Back to +2, whereas Harrington has dropped to +4. Cut line looms largely now.

Fleetwood misses the birdie putt at 5 so that’s five pars to start. Séamus Power dropped a shot at the 6th, so he’s back to level par. A drop shot too for Lowry at the 4th, he goes to +2 and looking over his shoulder at the cut, which has gone out to +3. Rozner, a very late starter, has birdied his first hole and he’s up to tied second too after holing a putt from off the green.

Danger man possibly? Solid start by Brooks Koepka who moves to -2 after a birdie on the 5th, a five-time major champion. Has never won the Open but has a great links caddie, Portrush’s Ricky Elliott.

Double bogey for Sharma on 17, that short par 3 if you get in the wrong spot on that hole it’s almost impossible. Lowry with a long birdie putt at the 3rd, just short, but a solid start with three pars. Beautiful chip by Spieth from just short of the green on 7, he looks in fine form today. Fleetwood’s drive on 5 goes into the semi-rough.

Unfortunately for Alex Maguire, he’s fallen to +7. Two doubles and two bogeys in seven holes. The projected cut at the moment is +2, it could move to +3. Harrington on that mark at the moment after six holes.

Another tasty iron from Spieth, right over the pin and 15 feet left for birdie. His putt tracks right into the middle of the hole! He joins Fleetwood at -5, three birdies in his first five holes. A pair of birdies for the Irish players - Séamus Power and Pádraig Harrington - at the 5th. Power up -1 now and inside the top 15. Harrington back to +3.

Stewart Cink is going well, the 2009 Open champion who famously beat Tom Watson at Turnberry. He’s -4 as is another former champion Jordan Spieth who hit the 5th green in two and two-putts for birdie.

Hatton update, hits it onto the green to putt for an 8, ouch. Similar to Rickie Fowler yesterday. Sharma birdies the 15th to move to a tie for third at -4. Shane Lowry has teed off, but his first drive down the right went into trouble in the bunker, he hit a lay up and has 5 feet for par and he makes it!

Max Homa ends up with a two-over 73 with six birdies, the rest of the round had far too many errors though. Still at -1, he’s alongside McIlroy and placed well in the pack.

BIRDIE FOR MCILROY! Good way to finish and that’s a second round of 70 for 1 under for the tournament. Nine shots behind Harman, but tied 17th and only two shots behind 4th. A lot will depend on whether Harman comes back to the field or not at the weekend but that could be an important putt there at the end of the week.

Hatton hits one close to out of bounds off the 18th... then takes a provisional and does the same! Hits a third and goes off the charts left.

A few bad holes around the turn, double bogey at 8 and bogey at 10 have left Alex Maguire work to do to make the cut. He’s +4. Shane Lowry is next up on the first tee.

McIlroy’s pitch is pretty good, eight feet left to get under par and post 70.

Tommy Fleetwood’s first drive is just left of the bunkers. His approach from 200 yards misses the green and has an awkward pitch left. McIlroy’s drive at the last is in the rough, 324 yards out there. It’s way left, 283 yards left over a fence. Rory hits an iron well up there, about 50 yards short of the green.

McIlroy still grinding away out there, makes another big par putt at the 17th from 10 feet to stay at even par. The last par 5 to come as Fleetwood heads to the tee.

McIlroy’s drive on the 16th is a good one, over the bunkers on the fairway and good recovery. But birdies to finish are essential. “Be lucky, honey!” sings Tyrrell Hatton at his ball on the 15th as he makes the par 5 in two. He’s -1 and a chance to get better.

Bogey for McIlroy! Rory in the rough, plays his pitch with plenty of loft. It is nicely done, and he leaves himself 5 feet left for par. He pushes this one to the right and he’s back where he started. Bogey at a par 5 was not what was planned.

McIlroy has to splash out from the bunker back to the fairway. He can’t make the green with his third, and he has work to do to save his par. Spieth off the tee and down the fairway at the first.

Oh dear, Rory into the pot bunker at 15, there goes the chance to hit the green in two at the par 5. A very solid start by Irish amateur Alex Maguire. He’s level for the day, +1 for the tournament after 6 holes.

McIlroy with a 50-yard pitch but it digs in for him and 13 feet left for par. Eagle for Harman! Harman’s eagle putt goes straight in the middle, 65! Wow what a round. He finishes on -10 overall. You can’t see anyone catching that today.

Par for McIlroy! He holes an important one there to stick in it. Par 5 to come.

Here are some of the best shots hit so far:

McIlroy’s shot from the rough into the wind is a lay-up short of the green, narrowly avoids the bunker and he’ll have to get up and down for par and stay under par. Harman 242 yards into 18 and a brilliant iron shot, threads the needle through the bunkers and he has an eagle putt to extend his lead!

Out of bounds on the right at the last but no issue for Harman who belts one down the middle and will have an iron into the par 5 you imagine. McIlroy’s drive at 14 is not great, way out to the right. Lamprecht drops another shot, two gone in the first three and lucky on the other. Could be a tough day for the South African.

Lamprecht after getting an amazingly lucky drop at the 2nd, then launches it left into hospitality at the 3rd. Some wild drives. Good bunker shot from McIlroy, but still 6 feet left for par. Harman’s bunker shot on 17 is also a good one, a similar distance left for him. Max Homa’s up-and-down round continues with a birdie from off the green at the 12th. Five birdies today but three bogeys and a double too. He’s -3.

Brian Harman gets his par again, relentless. So comfortable in that 7-8 foot range. Par for McIlroy! Big sand save and solid putt from 7 feet, remains 1 under.

McIlroy 20mph into the wind, 180 yards on the par 3 13th, the wind catches it and he’s in the bunker. Long bunker shot there ahead. Harman on another par 3, the 17th, and he also hits into the bunker after it had just hung above it for a few moments but gravity came through.

McIlroy backs off his putt a few times and lines it up again. Never looked comfortable and misses to the right. Disappointing.

A few disasters, a double bogey for Homa on the 11th as he drops down to -2. Christo Lamprecht looks like he has lost his drive on the 2nd hole. But apparently not, hmm:

McIlroy from the middle of the fairway on 12, right into the teeth of the wind, 120 yards and he lasers it in at the flag, only 7 feet left for birdie! Fantastic shot. Harman at 16 leaves an uphill putt very short as the breeze picks up but he makes the par putt again! Serious grinder and great putter.

Watch out for the fences out there and don’t be like Gary Woodland!

Lamprecht bogeys his first hole, maybe some nerves, he drops back into a tie for third. Super drive by Rory at the 12th, after watching everyone go right, he aims left and plays it into the wind to the middle of the fairway. Birdie meanwhile for Darren Clarke at the second! He’s +2.

Bogey for McIlroy! First mistake of the day, his putt went left and never threatened the hole. He will drop to -1, a shame. In unsurprising news, Just Stop Oil have made an appearance and Billy Horschel not the sort of man you want to mess with:

McIlroy gets a flier through the green on 11 from the rough, testy one left. Harman’s pitch is decent, slightly overhit on the 15th, he leaves himself 15 feet to the hole and misses the putt, just a par on the par 5. Indian play Sharma holes a putt from way off the green at the 7th to get to -4.

McIlroy’s chip is overhit, does not get the grip on it and 15 feet left for par. Could be the first bogey of the day.

Harman at the 15th goes for the green in two on the par 5 and misses the green but a chance to get up and down for birdie. McIlroy goes into the rough off the tee at 11. First round co-leader, the amateur Christo Lamprecht, tees off the first into the rough. Darren Clarke bogeys the first, while Grillo also bogeys to drop off the first page of the leaderboard.

Excellent lag putt from McIlroy, right to gimme range. That will do nicely at the 10th. Rahm bogeys the hole and shouts the loudest F-bomb you will hear today in Liverpool. He’s livid the big Spaniard.

Harman has not given an inch today and here was an example of his short game prowess:

Another fairway hit by Harman on 15. McIlroy’s iron went a cool 301 yards off the tee. His approach is far from his best though, he looks slightly mystified by it. More than 60 feet left. Another par for Maguire at the 2nd.

Meanwhile Max Homa has been burning up the course at the end of his nine. He birdies 7, 8 and 9 to get on the leaderboard at 4 under.

A 2 iron for Rory on the 10th, change of tactic from yesterday’s driver. He’s on the fairway, massive hit with his iron. Hovland on the green nearly holes a 40-footer. Grillo can’t make birdie at the par 5 15th, but going well, second best out on the course at the moment outside of Harman at -4. Another good lag putt from Harman at the 14th, should be another par.

Fine round of 68 by Minwoo Lee today, he’s tied 6th. “Get on your horse,” shouts Harman’s caddie on the 14th as his approach fails to make the green. Rahm bogeys the 9th, but Rory makes his putt for par from five feet! Big putt there, to the turn in 33 shots and well in the tournament.

“Oh no, oh no!” says McIlroy at the 9th, he double crosses his iron off the tee at the par 3. Flies over everything with the wind behind and into the rough, tough up and down from there.

His pitch comes out hot... and smashes the flagstick! Knocks it back to 5 feet. Bit of luck there.

Bettystown amateur Alex Maguire is off the mark and he’s parred the first hole.

McIlroy’s chip is nicely played at the 8th, a similar putt to yesterday, 3 feet left for par, which he makes. Hovland gives up his good work for the day on 7 and 9 and he’s back to -1.

Chip-in for Harman! What a par it is, magic short game at the 12th. Maintains his lead against the odds. Rory from the fairway 162 yards, doesn’t like the approach, slightly left of the green, but not the worst position. Missed a short putt there yesterday, needs to avoid an error there again.

Some trouble for Harman, he hits the bunker on 12 and has to splash out backwards to the fairway. His third shot goes short of the green as it catches the wind. Not on the green in 3 on the par 4, can he get up and down for bogey? McIlroy’s iron off the tee at the 8th scuttles down the fairway.

From the rough McIlroy’s lie is not too bad and he hits middle of the green at the 7th. Solid. Rahm only 137 yards left to the hole, middle of the fairway, wasn’t too happy with it but a birdie chance which he fails to convert. McIlroy eases the putt up close, 35 feet to 2 feet. Another birdie for Minwoo Lee on the 16th, he’s up to -3 now.

McIlroy goes well right at the 7th with his drive, could be into some heavy rough there. A better one for Rahm who bounds it down the fairway and long. More solid short game from Harman leaves himself an easy par at the 11th.

McIlroy’s putt from just off the green is excellent, up to a foot of the hole and taps in for par. A third of the way through his round on Friday and it’s been the start he is looking for, lots of nice swings, more fairways, just needs to keep it going. Rahm gets one against the grain at the 6th, second birdie in a row to move to +1.

Watch that great moment, a hole in one on 17 for Travis Smyth:

McIlroy at the 6th does not like it, holds the club in one hand and shouts “go!” but doesn’t reach the green. Stays up on the slope just short, not too bad. Better from Rahm this time, he hits middle of the green, good iron shot.

Harman at the 10th is left of the green and chips it stone dead for par. Great short game.

Birdie for McIlroy! He tidies it up for birdie.

Hole in one at 17th! Travis Smyth with the first of the week. At +8, unlikely to make the cut but one moment for the Australian to remember forever.

Rahm is just not playing very well. 3 over for the day as he started but not getting close to a birdie. On the par 5, he pulls his shot well left and then a poor chip. But he makes the putt from over 20 feet! That’s what the best do and he’s back to +2.

Rose shows the way with the bunker shot to close, Rory follows to even closer, high in the air, stops dead, brilliant bunker shot to three feet!

McIlroy with the longest drive of the day so far, 290 off the tee into the teeth of the wind, 228 yards to the pin on the par 5. He looks out of sync on that one, just came out of it and his iron drifts into the front bunker, not against the lip though like 18 yesterday. Needs to get up and down there.

Another superb iron from Harman on the 9th, 220 yards to 15 feet. The man to catch certainly, although he finally misses a makeable putt there to extend his lead. Hovland for eagle up the hill, just dies an inch to the right of the hole. That’s a birdie though and -3 now, up to tied 5th.

Hovland on the 5th goes for the green in 2 at the par 5 from 240 yards with an iron, it’s a superb hit, rolls up towards the hole and slope brings it down, but still a good eagle chance there to get to -4. McIlroy driving at the same par 5, 22mph into the wind. McIlroy hits a low bullet draw down the fairway, excellent position to attack.

Two bogeys in three holes for Max Homa, a poor start for the American. Minwoo Lee going a bit better today, as he birdies the 12th to get to -2. McIlroy hits his long birdie putt about 3 feet short, should make par from there you imagine, which he does. Harman gets up and down on 8 and stays at -8.

McIlroy launches his approach up in the air from 140 yards, hits the left of the green and left with a long putt of close to 50 feet for birdie there. Harman at the 8th hits his approach just short of the bunker, tricky chip ahead.

McIlroy takes an iron off the 4th but pulls it into the rough, depends on the lie but will lose control with his approach. Harman down the middle at the 8th off the tee. Hovland makes birdie at the 4th, back to -2.

Harman with his first bad swing of the day on 7, mis-hit his iron but jumped over the bunker and gets away with it, leaving a long putt. Harman is a menace with the putter and doesn’t go too far away with that one. Homa bogeys on the 2nd to drop to -2.

Rahm goes well right with his approach at the 3rd and his lag putt lands just before Rory’s marker, so will be giving McIlroy the line. He sinks it and leaves the stage for McIlroy. McIlroy surveys the hole from all angles... and misses! What a chance gone.

Another brilliant shot by Rory! 181 yards to four feet, peppering the flags today and a great birdie chance to get to -2. Justin Rose’s woes continue as he shanks the ball out of a divot out of bounds.

McIlroy makes another fairway on the third, driving it nicely to begin the round. Harman is also down the fairway on the 7th. Homa hits it into the bunker on the 2nd with his approach, while Hovland gives away the shot he had gained on the 3rd.

Harman’s birdie streak ends as he misses from 40 feet at 6. Otaegui drops a shot at 11 after 10 opening pars, now -3. On the same score, Max Homa makes a good up and down at the first. Rory’s birdie putt misses to the left from 25 feet.

Four straight birdies for Harman but unlikely to get another one at the 6th, on the green but a long putt ahead. The American finished tied 6th in the Open last year and the way he is playing he will improve on that this year. McIlroy’s approach to the 2nd just sneaks past the bunker but rolls back down the slope, he has a 25-footer up the hill for a birdie.

So close! Harman continues his great form today and almost chips in for eagle. He will be going to 8 under. Tom Kim has birdied four of his last five holes to get under par as the conditions are more benign this morning. On the second, McIlroy drives into the left-hand rough. Hovland also birdied the first hole and just misses a birdie on the second. He’s -2.

It’s a superb approach by Rory McIlroy from 172 yards to just 11 feet at the first, the ideal start. He needs to knock that in for birdie and get the momentum going early. Rahm hits a long birdie putt and hits the lip and rolls out, unlucky. Rahm +3 today so needs plenty of birdies.

Birdie for McIlroy! Straight down the hill, right in the middle and up to 1 under.

Good morning and welcome to live coverage of the second round of the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. Rory McIlroy is just teeing off after an opening round of level par on Thursday that could have been better, but could have been worse but there is no doubt that McIlroy needs to shoot in the 60s today to get himself in contention for the weekend if he is to end his major drought and win that coveted fifth major.

In early days on Friday, American Brian Harman has had a sensational start with three birdies in his first four holes, as he has moved to -7 and a two-shot lead. Thursday leaders Tommy Fleetwood and amateur Christo Lamprecht are playing in the evening wave, as are the other Irish players.

9.58am: Rory McIlroy

12.09pm: Alex Maguire (a)

12.42pm: Darren Clarke

2.15pm: Pádraig Harrington, Séamus Power

3.10pm: Shane Lowry

McIlroy’s first drive has gone much better than yesterday when he pushed it into the rough. He is miles down the middle of the fairway and long. Rahm follows up with a similar drive. That’s what we like to say. Hope you enjoy the day’s golf! @DavidGorman20 for any questions or feedback you might have.