The Open 2018: second round – live!

Live updates from the second day at CarnoustieOfficial live leaderboardFeel free to email scott.murray@theguardian.com

9.50am BST

Justin Thomas has just missed a tiddler on 4. So golf being golf, he makes one of the putts of the week, a huge 40-feet breaker that right-turns at the top of a ridge and slowly trundles down the hill, straight into the cup. His grin is as wide as the Tay. He’s back to -2. Russell Henley’s vicious downward spiral continues with double bogey at 7, a putt from kick-in distance yipped: he’s +2. And trouble for Tommy Fleetwood at the par-three 8th. He sends his tee shot into a deep bunker front right of the green. He’s not got much room for his backswing, the sand is wet, and he’s shortsided. His splash out is heavy, 25 feet past the hole. But he guides in the right-to-left slider, and salvages his momentum! A magical escape! He remains at -1.

9.40am BST

A fortunate break for Rory, whose second from the deep rough toys with the ditch down the right of the hole. It stays dry, and he’s got a wedge into the green. He arrows it straight at the flag, but there’s a whole load of spin on his ball, and it ends up 30 feet from the flag. He nearly drains the birdie putt, but a sixth par from six holes is fair, given how things panned out. And par golf is fine, because the rain continues to fall heavily, to the extent that scoring may now come at a premium. The later starters - Spieth, Fowler, Rahm, Finau, Reed - will probably get the better of the weather when the rain departs in the afternoon.

9.30am BST

Another tee-box homage to the great Severiano Ballesteros by the performance artist Rory McIlroy. He flays a drive into deep filth down the right of the par-five 6th. That was wild. Shades of Jordan Spieth on the 13th at Birkdale last year. There’s no Titleist truck to get Rory out of bother, though. Up on the green, Russell Henley, who shot a fine 69 yesterday, can’t get up and down from a tight lie over the back: it’s his second bogey of the day, after 2, and he slips back to level par. Back on 4, Justin Thomas pulls a tiddler to hand a shot back to the field: he’s -1 now.

9.22am BST

It’s all going wrong for Jimmy Walker. The 2016 PGA champion started well this morning, with a birde at 2, but he’s followed up bogeys at 3 and 4 with a double-bogey at the par-five 6th, the result of topping a shot into a bunker. Hey, we’ve all done it. Zach Johnson could do some serious business this week, though: it’s back-to-back birdies for the 2015 Open champ, the latest at 4. He’s -3 and just a couple off the lead.

9.18am BST

Molinari is one dimple away from making a second birdie in a row, but his 15-footer on 3 stops tantalisingly on the edge. The Quicken Loans and BMW PGA champ is making chances, though. He’s only got one top-ten finish at the Open to his name - at Muirfield in 2013 - but he’s in great form right now. Those wins on both tours, plus recent second places either side of the Atlantic, and this could be his time. A tie for second at last year’s PGA, too, it’s easy to forget. “I emigrated from Scotland to Lancashire several years back and discovered that a local delicacy was the Pie Floater,” reports Allan Knox. “The pie with variable contents would be put in a soup dish and float in gravy, gravy and mushy peas, or even tomato soup! Hopefully, readers that attend the Women’s Open in a few weeks time at Royal Lytham will get a chance to try this delicacy out.” Well that’s breakfast sorted. Back in a minute.

9.10am BST

Zach Johnson repairs the damage of the opening hole with birdie at 3. The king of St Andrews in 2015 is back to -2. Jason Day, who just missed out on the play-off that year, recorded a quiet level-par 71 yesterday, and has birdied 2 this morning to move to -1. And Charley Hoffman, who operates on the fringes of just about every major title challenge these days, prepares to launch another bid: an early birdie for the late-blooming Californian at 2, and he’s -1.

9.04am BST

Birdie for the hotly-tipped Francesco Molinari at 2: he moves to -2. There should be one for Brendan Steele on 3, as well, but he pushes a tiddler wide right, and remains at -3. The scoring seems a bit better this morning, a combination of friendlier pin placements and softer greens, the players able to attack the flags and retain greater control of their ball.

8.56am BST

Another birdie for Tommy Fleetwood, who is beginning to motor! Royal Birkdale’s favourite son makes it at 5, and he’s risen to -1. Unfortunately his partner, the 2016 champion Henrik Stenson, is heading the wrong way at some pace, dropping his third stroke of the day. He started off in a very healthy position after yesterday’s one-under 70, but things aren’t looking so rosy now at +2. Meanwhile the umbrellas are going up as the rain comes down a little bit harder.

8.52am BST

Dustin Johnson needs to do a bit of work if he’s to make the cut, having shot 76 yesterday, melting down with a out-of-bounds triple on 18. He’s started the repair job well, with birdie at 3: he’s +4. Birdie for Marc Leishman at 4; he’s level par. And it’s a par for his playing partner Rory, who has started out in the street-fighting fashion. What he’d give for a nice calm birdie, though. “Walker ‘makes a bit of a hash of escaping’ from ‘a pot bunker’ (8.30am)? Bet he felt like a dope,” quips

Cheech Marin
Justin Horton.

8.46am BST

Rory’s short game is reminiscent of Seve at the moment. Unfortunately so is his driving. He’s just flayed his tee shot at 4 into the rough down the right. Fortunately he’s able to lash a wedge through the tall stuff and send his ball trundling onto the green. He’ll have a 25-footer for an unlikely birdie.

Related: Rory McIlroy relives teenage kicks with freewheeling first round at Open | Andy Bull

8.40am BST

McIlroy takes out the Texas Wedge, putting through a swale. He’s up onto the green, and his ball nestles a couple of feet away from the flag. He saves his par. That’s another sensational up and down. He’s joined at -2 by Olesen, who converts his birdie chance. Zach Johnson drops a shot at the 1st to slip back to -1. Cameron Davis hands back the shot he picked up on 7 immediately, with bogey at 8: he’s -1. Henrik Stenson drops his second shot of the day at 4: he’s +2. But going in the correct direction: US Open hero Tommy Fleetwood, who birdies 4 to bring himself up to level par for the championship.

8.36am BST

From the centre of the 3rd fairway, McIlroy wedges over the green. That’s a poor mistake from such a good spot. His partners Olesen and Leishman show up his error by peppering the flagstick, albeit lightly. Speaking of food, here’s Simon McMahon, native of Dundee, half an hour up the road, with the lowdown on the local cuisine: “BBQ pork shoulder or pimento cheese doesn’t normally form part of the Scottish diet, and unfortunately nor does Hamburger Helper, so can I recommend a Dundee pie, or as the locals say, peh, to keep you sustained during another long day of hole-by-holing. You can put pretty much anything you like in said pie, a thin pastry shell filled with various fillings depending on time of day. A breakfast pie might include, say, sausage, egg and beans whereas your lunch pie could involve macaroni cheese or smoked fish from up the road in Arbroath, and your teatime pie steak and gravy, or chicken curry. If you’re really hungry you can put the pie on a roll. Alternatively, a can of beer and a fag are popular at all times.” Saturday Kitchen and Sunday Brunch ain’t got nuttin’ on this.

8.30am BST

Up on 3, Jimmy Walker gets an unlucky bounce that takes him into a greenside pot bunker, then makes a bit of a hash of escaping. He gets his ball up onto the green, but only just, having given up on his downswing, and can’t hole his long par putt. He’s +1. Henrik Stenson sends his second to six feet, but can’t make the birdie putt: he’s level. And Tommy Fleetwood hideously misreads his birdie effort, but makes the six-footer he’d left himself for par; he’s +1. Another birdie for Cameron Davis, at 7, and he’s -2.

8.24am BST

McIlroy’s got an awful lie, standing in the rough above the green. But he plays an exquisite bump down the bank, landing on the fringe and rolling it to a couple of feet. That’s a lovely touch, and he’s saved his par. He’s -2. His playing partner and fellow Manchester United fan Thorbjorn Olesen makes par to stay at -1. Completing the group: par for Marc Leishman, football allegiance unknown, who remains at +1.

8.15am BST

Rory’s struggling his way down 2. He hooks his drive into deep rough along the left, halfway up a bank, and then sends his second into equally thick stuff to the right of the green. He’s not too far from the flag, but up another wee bank and there’s not a whole load of green to play with on that side. That’ll test his short game.

8.06am BST

Henrik Stenson drops a shot on 2, the result of finding sand with his drive and being forced to wedge out sideways. His third into the green was just fine, setting up a chance to escape with a par, but he pushed his putt from ten feet, it was never going in. He’s back to level par. As is his playing partner Jimmy Walker, coming the other way: he birdies. Back on 1, Rory McIlroy is out. After a booming drive, he’s on the green in two, 12 feet from the flag. He can’t make his birdie putt though, a bit tentative, and stays there at -2.

8.00am BST

Ryan Moore reads a left-to-right curler from 30 feet on 3 perfectly. Birdie, and he’s the first player to shake up the overnight leaderboard. An opening-hole birdie for Russell Henley, too, and he’s instantly up to -2.

-5: Kisner
-4: Moore (3), van Rooyen, Finau, Lombard
-3: Steele, Stone

7.55am BST

Matthew Fitzpatrick is out and about. Not much to report yet, other than to note that both his caddy and that of amateur Jovan Rebula were tugging away heartily on cigarettes as they made off down the hole, a refreshingly old-school look. Memories of Ian Woosnam’s legendary bagman Miles Byrne. More innocent times.

Related: The Joy of Six: Open nightmares | Scott Murray

7.46am BST

Fleetwood gets up and down from the back of 1 for his par. He remains at +1. Pars for Stenson and Walker, too: they’re -1 and +1 respectively. Steady. Elsewhere, it’s been a fast start today by Cameron Davis. The 23-year-old Australian is playing in his first Open Championship, a benefit of winning his home title last year. Davis posted a level-par 71 yesterday: he’s made birdie at 2 to move to -1 for the tournament. And another par for Ryan Moore, at 2; he remains at -3.

7.40am BST

Tommy Fleetwood takes to the first tee, and unsheathes the big stick. He batters it down the track, but it’s clear there’s not going to be the bonus yardage of yesterday: the rain has slowed down the fairways. His wedge in only just holds the fringe at the back of the green. His playing partners Henrik Stenson and Jimmy Walker, major champions both, set up decent birdie opportunities.

7.30am BST

While we’re waiting for the course to become fully populated with the world’s best players ... there’s time to catch up on yesterday’s action. Here’s Ewan Murray’s first-round report.

Related: Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth fail to shine as lesser Open lights sparkle

7.25am BST

Ryan Moore shot a fine 68 yesterday afternoon. He’s out very early this morning, and isn’t enjoying the opening hole. He’s pushed his tee shot into the rough down the right, then sent a flyer through the green into an awkward tuft of grass at the back. He’ll have his work cut out to get up and down from there. But he bumps out beautifully to ten feet, and scrambles his par. That’s a great save after a very shaky start. He remains at -3. But an early sign already that a freshly watered Carnousite will set some additional posers: less distance, more troublesome rough.

7.15am BST

Good morning Carnoustie! Well, summer’s gone. For a day or two, anyway. The sunshine of yesterday has given way to dreich drizzle: the umbrellas are up, and the weatherproof jackets are on. It’s forecast to be cloudy for most of the day, with some heavy bursts of rain possible in the morning. The wind should pick up to 15mph at times. While we’re not expecting to see much of the sun, the conditions are likely to ease off a little in the afternoon. So there’s more to think about, in the true links style, with Carnoustie’s honour defended by the weather. The course hasn’t taken a proper soaking, though, so should still be running pretty fast ... just not as fast as yesterday. The Open in Scotland: just the way it should be!

8.32pm BST

Preambles are so Thursday. We’ve got another long day ahead of us, so let’s get straight down to business.

The top of the leaderboard after the first round ...

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Published on July 20, 2018 01:50
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