Collin Morikawa was a whisker away from matching the Royal St George’s course record as he raced through the field on Friday morning at the Open Championship.
Overnight leader Louis Oosthuizen now trails Morikawa by three, after the American skipped round the Sandwich links in six-under 64. Oosthuizen is among the later starters this afternoon.
A birdie putt on the 18th lipped out, denying Morikawa the honour of matching Greg Norman’s 63 at Royal St George’s in 1993. Morikawa’s 64 was equalled by Argentine Emiliano Grillo who joined South African pair Oosthuizen and Daniel van Tonder at six-under.
Elsewhere, the combustible Tyrrell Hatton set tongues wagging when he appeared to flick his middle finger towards the back of the 11th green and utter a series of expletives after a double-bogey on the par three.
Latest updates below.
01:57 PM
Rory McIlroy finds the heart of the 18th green
But it looks odds on to be a par and that will leave him sweating at one-over and battling to make the cut. Koepka has picked up a birdie at the seventh to move to one-under.
01:49 PM
Paul Casey responds with a birdie
His first of the day comes at the 7th and he is back to level for the day, two-under for the tournament.
01:43 PM
Birdie for Spieth at the first
Just a par for DeChambeau at the first after a good lag putt from off the green.
Spieth converts through for birdie! The putt was dribbled but it sneaked in the left edge. He joins the group at six-under par.
01:40 PM
Adam Scott bouncing back
01:35 PM
Cracking start for Spieth
Playing alongside DeChambeau, his wedge settles down within six feet of the pin. Chance to move to six-under straight out of the gate.
01:30 PM
Bryson DeChambeau on the first tee
Nothing wrong with his driver face there….settles in the first cut of rough.
01:27 PM
Danny Willett on the move
Back-to-back birdies for the Englishman and winner of last year’s PGA at Wentworth and he is now five-under.
01:16 PM
Fleetwood leaves a birdie putt in the jaws
Stays at three-under as he walks to the 17th tee. McIlroy trying to chip and putt for par on the 15th…nicely done but it’s a testing five footer to come.
01:14 PM
Birdies for Willett and Siem
Siem with a big first pump after draining a birdie putt on the 18th to reach six-under. That’s a four-under round of 66 today.
Willett is also moving in the right direction, four-under for the tournament in the early stages of his second round.
01:10 PM
Bogey for Keopka
Not the start he was hoping for: now two-over after four holes and back to level par.
Fleetwood’s birdie try at the 15th slipped by but he has set up another chance with a good tee shot at the par three 16th.
01:01 PM
Excellent approach from Fleetwood
Almost knocked the flagstick over on the 15th but it bounces 15 feet or so past. Birdie chance coming up.
McIlroy fails to make his birdie on the 14th. His chip ran on past the hole and he missed the putt coming back.
12:56 PM
More good news for the English challenge
Jack Senior has made an early birdie to reach four-under. Just five off the lead.
12:51 PM
Solid golf from Danny Willett
A birdie putt narrowly misses on the sixth, but the 2016 Masters champion stays at thgree-under.
At the 14th, McIlroy flirts with danger down the right but is also unlucky his ball did not take a firmer bounce. Should be able to chip and putt for birdie from there.
12:48 PM
Quickfire highlights
12:47 PM
To the 14th….
Good lag putt from short of the green by Tommy Fleetwood, and that will be a straightforward birdie to return to three-under for the tournament.
McIlroy has found the fairway with an iron, which might take the green out of play in two. The wind is at his back though.
12:35 PM
Bogey at the first for Brooks Koepka
He trails Morikawa now by eight. Good approach into the second though and will have a 15 footer for birdie.
12:29 PM
What a back nine from Grillo
Six birdies to come back in 30 and join Oosthuizen on six-under. Cracking stuff.
12:28 PM
Marcel Siem enjoying himself
12:26 PM
Kick-in birdie for McIlroy
He is inching his way forward and his now into red figures after a three at the 12th. That was a much better wedge shot – it’s been the most troublesome department of his game.
12:19 PM
Just a par at the 12th for Fleetwood
Meanwhile Marcel Siem, who qualified via a win on the Challenge Tour, is flying at three-under and on the 14th green in two with an eagle chance…which just slips by. Still, it’s a birdie.
12:11 PM
What a back nine in progress by Grillo
Makes yet another birdie on the 17th to reach five-under. Back on the 11th, McIlroy two putts for a par to stay at even.
12:05 PM
Good shot on the 11th for McIlroy
Right over the top of the pin and will be an outside birdie chance. Up ahead at the 12th, Fleetwood challenges the green with a driver on the par four but finds one of the pot bunkers.
12:04 PM
That Hatton incident
11:56 AM
No course record for Morikawa
But that is a superb round of six-under 64 and he now leads the field by three. Lunch will taste sweet.
11:53 AM
Hotheaded Hatton
Tyrrell does not try to hide his emotions and after making a double bogey on the 11th he appeared to flick a middle finger towards the back of the green before pointing his putter and saying “that is absolute f—— b——s”.
The second letter in that final word is O, to save any confusion…
11:51 AM
Morikawa’s approach
From 134 yards, he judges the distance perfectly and will have a five foot putt for birdie for a 63. That would match Greg Norman’s course record from the 1993 Open. What makes it all the more impressive is that this is his Open debut.
11:47 AM
Lovely drive from Morikawa on 18
Splits the fairway with a gorgeous tee shot. Maybe the closing hole will yield a closing birdie for the leader.
11:44 AM
Good response from Fleetwood
Fires a sand wedge to within inches on the par four 10th. Will be a certain birdie after back-to-back bogeys, and get him back to two-under.
11:43 AM
Consecutive birdies for Cam Smith
Alongside McIlroy, the Australian heads for the back nine at two-under.
11:41 AM
Another par for Morikawa
Good lag putt from way downtown on the 17th. He walks to 18th tee three clear, needs one final birdie to equal the course record.
Back at the ninth, positive news for Rory McIlroy who makes a birdie three to get back to level par for the day and the tournament.
11:32 AM
Back to back bogeys for Fleetwood
He has fallen back to one-under for the tournament. Not the front nine move he was hoping for. Corey Connors has picked up another birdie to reach four-under.
11:31 AM
No birdie for Morikawa at 16
The putt slips past but it’s the easiest of pars and he remains three clear of the field with two par fours to play.
11:30 AM
Good par save on 18 from Finau
A good round from the popular American today, a four-under 66. He is on four-under for the tournament and five behind the leader Morikawa.
11:28 AM
Another birdie for Grillo
A straightforward four on the 14th moves the Argentine to four-under for the championship.
11:22 AM
Another good iron shot from Morikawa
Skips up to within 15 feet on the par three 16th. A chance to get back the dropped shot immediately.
11:21 AM
Fist pump from Matt Wallace
The Englishman birdies the 16th, his third of the back nine, to reach two-under for the tournament.
11:17 AM
First bogey of the day for Morikawa
Chipped up to six feet or so on the 15th, but for the first time today the putt slips by. He drops back to nine-under, will need a birdie in the last three holes to match the course record.
11:15 AM
Bogey for Fleetwood on the 8th
He drops back to two-under for the tournament, having missed the chance to reach four at the sixth. Needs to put a run together on the back nine now.
11:09 AM
No birdie for McIlroy
The par at the seventh keeps him at one-over for the tournament. Fleetwood is in a spot of bother to the left of the eighth green in the wispy rough. Morikawa comes up shy on the 15th, will need to chip and putt for par.
11:06 AM
Lovely splash out from McIlroy
Faced a bunker shot right across the 7th green, some 30 yards or so, and flew it right over the top of the pin with spin. Will have a 10-footer for birdie coming up.
At the 15th, Morikawa’s drive shoots through the fairway into the first cut of rough.
11:02 AM
Morikawa reaches double digits!
This is an exhibition, one of the great rounds in Open history in progress. Rolls in the birdie putt from six feet or so on the 14th, now seven-under for the day and -10 for the tournament.
11:01 AM
Eagle for Corey Connors on the 14th
He jumps up to three-under for the championship.
10:57 AM
Morikawa with another birdie putt on the way
He is peppering the flags, this is reminiscent of McIlroy or Johnny Miller at his best. After chopping out of the rough, he fires a nine iron to within six or seven feet on the par five 14th.
10:55 AM
Eagle for Justin Thomas
Cracking fairway wood into the par five seventh and he holes the putt for a three to get back to level par. Alongside him is Fleetwood, who makes a par after missing the fairway.
10:55 AM
Finau on the up
10:53 AM
Early move forward from Andy Sullivan
Birdies the second to move to four-under. Good drive from McIlroy down the par five 7th, might be able to have a cut at the green in two from there.
10:49 AM
Birdie for Tony Finau at the 15th
That is two in a row for the American and he rebounds to four-under. The sun is out now in Sandwich and these are good scoring conditions.
10:47 AM
A little more trouble off the tee for Morikawa on the 14th
He certainly made sure he avoided the out of bounds right, but that is in some thick stuff down the left of the par five. Rory McIlroy has made another couple of pars and is one-over as he walks to the 7th tee.
10:44 AM
Morikawa saves his par at the 13th
His second round remains blemish free and he remains three clear of the field at nine-under.
10:42 AM
Great round by Matthias Schmidt
The German amateur is the clubhouse at one-under for the tournament after a round of 65. That is joint-lowest round by amateur in the history of the Open.
10:36 AM
Fleetwood’s misses the birdie putt
From no more than four feet, that’s a big chance gone. Stays at three-under. This tee shot goes unconverted:
10:33 AM
Cracking shot from Fleetwood
Scares the hole on the par three 6th and he should open his birdie account to move to four-under.
First sign of trouble all day for Morikawa, finds a pit bunker off the tee on the 13th and has to splash out. Needs to get up and down to save par.
10:26 AM
Morikawa converts on the 12th
Now SIX-under for his round and nine-under for the tournament. Three clear of Oosthuizen. This is some round in progress. Needs two more birdies and no dropped shots to match the lowest ever round in a major.
10:22 AM
Another birdie chance on the way for Morikawa
Rips a wedge back to the holeside from 65 yards on the 12th. A good chance to reach nine-under.
10:22 AM
A putt drops for McIlroy
Reduces the arrears with a well-executed birdie at the fourth to climb back to one-over. Needs a couple more of those before the turn. One player going well at three-under after 16 holes is Johannes Veerman who finished in the top 10 in Ireland and Scotland in recent works.
10:13 AM
One of the shots of the day
10:12 AM
Another Morikawa birdie!
Pours in the putt on the 11th and reaches the dizzy heights of eight-under, two clear of Oosthuizen. Morikawa is not five-under for the day. Could Greg Norman’s course record 63 be in danger?
10:05 AM
History maker?
10:05 AM
Another glorious shot from Morikawa
Right over the top of the pin at the par three 11th and another good birdie chance coming up. McIlroy has at least settled down with a par at the third and has found the fourth fairway with a three wood.
09:56 AM
Daniel van Tonder sneaking up on the rails
He is not three-under for the day and five-under for the tournament after making a three at the 17th. Another South African thriving at The Open.
09:52 AM
Consecutive bogeys for McIlroy
Not the start he wanted and he was walking after that par putt very early. Up ahead at the third, it’s just a par for Fleetwood but that is not a bad score on that hole.
09:49 AM
Our new leader
09:46 AM
McIlroy misses the second green with a sand wedge
Approach shots with loft in hand are causing McIlroy real problems. He is losing so many shots to his rivals in this department. In the bowl short and right after the perfect drive on the second. So frustrating.
09:44 AM
New leader!
Morikawa taps in and that is a four-under front nine of 31. He is now seven-under for the championship and one clear of Oosthuizen.
Fleetwood saved par at the second and has struck a fine tee shot at the long par three third. 20 feet or so for birdie coming up.
09:38 AM
Morikawa on fire
Stuffs his approach in close on the ninth and they looks like being a certain birdie to claim the lead on his own. Hard to see a weakness in his game right now.
09:37 AM
McIlroy kicking himself
He missed a few short putts yesterday and that par putt from short-range was always left. Falls back to one-over as he walks to the second tee.
Up ahead at the green, Justin Thomas has just holed a tram-liner for birdie to join McIlroy at one-over.
09:33 AM
Finau drops a shot
A short par putt lips out on the 10th and he drops back to three-under.
09:32 AM
McIlroy found the back of the first green
Not a bad result from the rough but has some 50 feet or so remaining…still a little bit of work to do to save par from four feet or so.
Mistake from Fleetwood at the second, missing the green in the bowl short and right.
09:30 AM
Oosthuizen has company!
Morikawa drains his birdie putt at the 8th to reach six-under, three-under for his round. He looks in fine fettle, the slightly slower greens this side of the Atlantic seem to suit his technique.
09:25 AM
Scotland the brave
09:24 AM
Morikawa flag hunting again
It’s another sterling mid-iron into the heart of the eight green. Playing with such poise and confidence at the moment. Fleetwood goes with putter off the green at the first, and judges it well to save par.
09:21 AM
Rory McIlroy on the first tee
Stands up and hits driver but pushes it right like Fleetwood and so many other players this morning. Will depend on his lie in the rough. Fleetwood hit a decent second to the left fringe just off the green.
09:19 AM
Back to back birdies for Emiliano Grillo
He is two two-under for the tournament after six holes of his second round. Webb Simpson has missed another fairway on the fourth but it’s another good recovery to find the back of the green.
09:15 AM
Finau to within two of the lead
Makes his fourth birdie of the day at the ninth to reach the turn in four-under 31. Another one of those coming home and he will break the course record.
09:14 AM
Just a par for Morikawa on the 7th
Not the worst outcome after the tee shot despite it being a par five. Stays at five-under.
Back at the first, Rickie Fowler has started with a par, MacIntyre makes birdie while Schauffele drops a shot.
09:11 AM
Tommy Fleetwood on the first tee
Justin Thomas, his playing partner, has just hit a quick pull into the crowd on the left. Fleetwood is watching his anxiously, and he has lost it right into the rough. A very popular spot on the first this morning.
09:03 AM
Molinari took a seven on the sixth
That’s a quadruple bogey. Has birdied the par five 7th to his credit, now back at one-over.
09:00 AM
Xander Schauffele on the first tee
Will be praying for a good lie after tweaking drive into the rough on the left. Alongside Schauffele is the only Scot in the field Robert MacIntyre, who finds the cut and prepared. Rickie Fowler, who is one-under, steps up next and his drive drifts into the right rough but we can see the top of the ball.
08:57 AM
More good scrambling from Simpson
Has not seen a fairway so far, but a good wedge shot and putt sees him save his par on the 2nd.
Up at the 8th, Finau rolls in his birdie putt from six or seven feet to move to three-under. Morikawa looks to have found a deep bunker right of the fairway on the par five 7th.
08:53 AM
Lovely approach from Finau on the 8th
Good chance coming up to move to three-under. Morikawa has two-putted for his par on the sixth.
08:43 AM
Another one right down the banner from Morikawa
But with the wind at his back it runs out 30 feet or so beyond the hole on the par three sixth. Tricky pin position tight to the right side of the green.
08:42 AM
Morikawa’s birdie at the fifth
08:39 AM
Morikawa converts!
He is two-under through five holes and just one behind Oosthuizen. Back at the first, Simpson got up and down to save an unlikely par.
08:38 AM
Molinari stuck in a bunker on the sixth
Missed the green right on the par three, and his bunker shot caught the lip and very nearly came back and hit him on the thigh. He had to play out backwards with the next one so needs to chip and putt to save a double bogey.
08:34 AM
Morikawa looking to make history
08:33 AM
Trouble for Webb Simpson at the first
Could only advance his second 30 yards or so into the fairway on the first. Must have had a filthy lie in the rough.
Morikawa has sent another iron shot into office and he will have four feet or so for birdie on the fifth.
08:24 AM
Morikawa scares the hole
Great try on the fourth, but it slipped by the right edge. Another solid par though, Morikawa is looking really good and just two behind Oosthuizen.
08:22 AM
Merritt goes close to an eagle
08:18 AM
Outstanding from Morikawa
His ball was always going to chase forward coming out of the rough from 171 yards but he judged that beautifully, landing it short of the green and letting it bound up the step to the back portion of the fourth green. 20 feet or so for birdie coming up.
08:16 AM
McIlroy grinding on the practice putting green
Four in a row have missed left of the hole. Let’s hope for better when he starts his second round proper. Molinari scrambled for par on the fourth to stay at two-under. Solid par from Morikawa at the third to stay four-under, but he has found the wispy rough left of four off the tee.
08:05 AM
Some big names coming up
07:54 AM
Bill Horschel picks up a shot
The American with the West Ham United golf bag bolts in a birdie putt at the fourth to move to one-under for the tournament. Molinari chips up well on the same hole but dragged his par putt left of the hole. Back to two-under. Just the par for Morikawa at the second after his approach came up a little shy.
07:43 AM
What a shot from Finau at the long par three third
Skips forward after landing in the middle of the green, runs up to the top shelf to within a few feet of the hole. Certain birdie to move into red figures.
Molinari left his birdie putt short at the second.
07:38 AM
Another well played hole for Molinari
Finds the second fairway and then his approach checks up pin high, 15 feet from the hole. Will have that for birdie.
Back at the first, Morikawa is off to flyer with a birdie three to move on to the first page of the leaderboard at four-under.
07:30 AM
Birdie for Molinari on the first
Cracking approach to within a few feet with a wedge. The 2018 Open champion has been in the doldrums but is now just three behind Oosthuizen at three-under.
07:27 AM
Morikawa with the ideal start
His drive at the first bounds down the left side of the fairway. He played some great stuff in the trickier afternoon conditions, and his putting looked strong which is sometimes a weak link in his game. Morikawa is ranked as a the best iron player on the PGA Tour statistically.
07:14 AM
Par at the first for Matt Fitzpatrick
He stays at one-over. Was well fancied this week after losing out in a play-off at the Scottish Open last time out.
07:12 AM
Ken on the course: Always a treasure
07:01 AM
Good start from Jazz Janewattananond
A couple of early birdies sees him move to two-under after five holes. The Thai played really well at the 2019 USPGA Championship at Bethpage Black.
06:55 AM
Tony Finau getting strated
Rough finish yesterday to fall back to level par, but his three wood off the first finds the semi-rough. He has racked up so many top 10s in majors but is yet to win one.
06:44 AM
Padraig Harrington starts his second round
The Ryder Cup captain shot a two-over 72 yesterday which included a double bogey on this first hole. In better shape today as his drive finds the fairway.
06:36 AM
Some of the groups who will be starting shortly
7.30 am — John CATLIN, Romain LANGASQUE, Aaron PIKE
7.41 am — Padraig HARRINGTON, Brad KENNEDY, Sam FORGAN
7.52 am — Tony FINAU, Billy HORSCHEL, Adam HADWIN
8.03 am — Patrick CANTLAY, Matthew FITZPATRICK, Ryan FOX
8.14 am — Francesco MOLINARI, Marc LEISHMAN, Matt WALLACE
8.25 am — Collin MORIKAWA, Corey CONNERS, Sebastian MUNOZ
8.36 am — Jason SCRIVENER, Keith MITCHELL, Sam BAIRSTOW (a)
06:34 AM
Daniel van Tonder going nicely
The world number 87 is finding fairways and greens with regularity and is two-under for the tournament. He has just split the fairway on the fourth.
Jason Day is having a horrible time of it, he has just made double bogey on the first to fall back to seven over. Day has had his injury problems and looks completely out of sorts.
06:22 AM
Pressure on the early starters to make inroads
Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of day two of the 149th Open Championship from Royal St George’s.
There is a slight chill in the air in Sandwich at this very early hour, but it is expected to warm up quickly as the day progresses. Leader Louis Oosthuizen and his closest challenger Jordan Spieth are among the later starters this afternoon, so the likes of Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele have the chance to close the gap this morning.
There was a significant split in the scoring yesterday between morning and afternoon starters, with fresher greens and lighter winds yielding better scores earlier in the day. Those who teed off late on day one will hope that pattern holds so they can take advantage.
Bryson DeChambeau will tee off at 2.26 pm and is involved in a remarkable disagreement with his club manufacturer Cobra about his driver. The American said he was unhappy with the club face on his driver and that it was causing a number of errant tee shots. DeChambeau is not out of it at one-over but needs to find more fairways. Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson are well placed at two-under.
These were some of day one’s other highlights:
Far from a Bland start
Richard Bland had the honour of hitting the opening tee shot of the 149th Open Championship at 6.35am. The 48-year-old Englishman won the British Masters in May, his first European Tour title at the 478th attempt.
“The nerves definitely sort of cranked up a little bit and I was glad to hit one in the fairway,” Bland said.
Caddie upstages Casey’s fashion sense
Paul Casey’s caddie John McLaren goes by the locker room nickname ‘Johnny Long Socks’ because, you guessed it, of his preference for wearing longer, ankle length socks rather than trainer liners. At Sandwich yesterday, he was sporting a Union Jack pair.
Hero to zero
There’s a three-letter word beginning with Y (rhymes with hips) which golfers are scared to say out loud, but young American Will Zalatoris has a nasty case of them from short-range. His twitchy miss from no more than 18 inches on the 17th was difficult to watch, even more so after his heroic chip-in eagle on 12.
Rare back-to-back eagles
Brandt Snedeker came within a whisker of back-to-back eagles on his back nine. After missing out on a hole-in-one by inches on the par three 16th, Snedeker holed his second shot for eagle on the par four 17th. The shot of the day.