American Brian Harman took control of the Open Championship with a superb second round at Royal Liverpool. Despite challenging conditions, Harman delivered a remarkable performance, scoring a six-under 65 to lead the tournament at 10 under. Meanwhile, the chasing pack struggled to make significant progress. Tommy Fleetwood, one of the overnight leaders, faced difficulties and was five shots behind with two holes remaining. However, Austria’s Sepp Straka emerged as a contender with a second-round 67, moving to four under. Australian Min Woo Lee, Jason Day, and India’s Shubhankar Sharma were also in contention at three under.
Although several players attempted to mount a charge in the afternoon, the challenging greens of the links course alongside the Dee Estuary prevented any significant breakthroughs. American Jordan Spieth, the 2017 champion, started strong with three birdies in his first six holes but struggled on the back nine, finishing with a level-par 71 to remain at two under.
Harman’s exceptional putting skills were the highlight of the day. He expressed confidence in his hot putter, which had been instrumental in his success over the past few weeks. Harman’s birdies on the second, third, and fourth holes, along with a near-eagle on the fifth, propelled him forward. He continued his momentum on the back nine, saving a bogey with a sensational chip-in on the 12th hole and finishing with a brilliant approach and eagle putt on the 18th. With only 23 putts in his round, Harman’s steady stroke could prove difficult to match over the weekend.
Harman’s previous experience holding the 54-hole lead at the U.S. Open gives him added confidence. Notably, the last two winners at Hoylake, Tiger Woods in 2006 and Rory McIlroy in 2014, were also at 132 after two rounds. McIlroy, the pre-tournament favorite, struggled with his putter and remained nine shots behind Harman after improving by only one stroke from his first-round score of 71.
The galleries lining the fairways witnessed an eventful day, including a brief halt in play caused by Just Stop Oil protesters at the 17th hole. However, security staff swiftly resolved the situation with the assistance of American golfer Billy Horschel. McIlroy provided early excitement for his fans with a birdie on the opening hole and a remarkable bunker shot on the fifth. Despite dropping a shot on the 11th, he managed to stay below par with a superb up-and-down from a bunker on the 13th. However, a six on the 15th dampened his progress. McIlroy remained optimistic, believing that there would not be many players between him and the lead heading into the weekend.
While McIlroy’s playing partner Jon Rahm secured his place in the weekend with a one-under 70, Justin Rose and several former Open champions, including Phil Mickelson, Collin Morikawa, and Francesco Molinari, failed to make the cut. Australian golfer Travis Smyth provided a thrilling moment with a hole-in-one on the 17th, but his eight-over score will likely prevent him from participating in the weekend rounds.
In conclusion, Brian Harman’s exceptional second round propelled him to the top of the leaderboard at the Open Championship. His outstanding putting skills and steady stroke make him a formidable contender for the title. However, with challenging conditions and a competitive field, the tournament is far from decided.
