We’ve reached the midway point of the British Open, and Shane Lowry is in full control of the leaderboard.
Lowry dropped to 7-under after his second-round 69 on Friday, which gave him a two-shot lead over the field heading into Moving Day at Royal Troon in Scotland. He had a bit of a leg up in the second round, too, as heavy winds absolutely battered the afternoon wave and sent several big names home early.
Daniel Brown, who led after the first round, fired a 1-over 72 on Friday. He’ll start Saturday at 5-under on the week with Justin Rose, who matched the low round of the day with his 3-under 68 on Friday. They are the first trio from the United Kingdom and Ireland to lead the British Open at the midway point since 1951.
Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler will start the day five shots back of Lowry at 2-under. Scheffler, who has won six times already this season on the PGA Tour, is coming off a playoff win at the Travelers Championship.
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Daniel Brown back in front
With a birdie at the 16th, his fifth of the day, Daniel Brown is back in the solo lead again. Incredible
Billy Horschel, again
Billy Horschel is saving everything today. He just went up-and-down, and nearly chipped in, after his ball plugged into a bunker at the 16th.
Scheffler’s near ace
Scottie Scheffler just almost matched Si Woo Kim’s hole-in-one at the 17th! What a shot.
It’s not been getting any better, either.
What an incredible save from Billy Horschel to keep a share of the lead. He’s tied with Brown at 5-under now as they approach the home stretch.
A two-shot swing for Daniel Brown
Daniel Brown is the solo leader once again after a wild two-shot swing at the 12th. Brown made his birdie putt, while Shane Lowry missed a very makeable par putt to drop back to 4-under.
Leaderboard
1. Brown (-6)
2. Horschel (-5)
T3. Lowry (-4)
T3. Justin Rose
T3. Xander Schauffele
Lowry bogeys, drops back with Horschel and Brown
That didn’t last long. Shane Lowry, after a rough drive that hit a fan at the 11th, just bogeyed to drop back to 5-under.
He’s now tied up with Billy Horschel and Daniel Brown again in the lead.
Lowry back in solo lead
Shane Lowry is alone at the top again after Daniel Brown and Billy Horschel each make a bogey. We’ll see how long this last
Dustin Johnson from DEEP
This will have to go down as the putt of the day. Incredible
Backwards Hat Billy joins the leaders
Backwards Hat Billy is now a co-leader at the British Open. After his fourth birdie to close out his front nine, Horschel matched Lowry and Brown at 6-under.
Daniel Brown, co-leader
Shane Lowry just made a double at the par-3 8th after landing his drive in a bunker, which prompted a massive swing. Daniel Brown bogeyed, so the two are tied for the lead at 6-under.
Xander Schauffele and Billy Horschel are suddenly just a shot back. As for Lowry, well …
Only 3 players since 2000 have won The Open with more than one double bogey that week, the last being Mickelson in 2013. That was Lowry’s second double.
Just like that, Shane Lowry’s lead is down to just a single shot. Daniel Brown carded back-to-back birdies even after his errant tee shot at the 7th to get to 7-under.
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Daniel Brown, just like us
Daniel Brown just nearly took out Dean Burmester at the Postage Stamp … from the wrong hole.
Xander throwing darts
We came this close to another hole-in-one today at Royal Troon. Xander Schauffele just stuck one close for a birdie at the Postage Stamp to get to 4-under.
After a rough Friday afternoon weather-wise, several golfers took full advantage of briefly benign conditions at Royal Troon on Saturday morning.
Then the rain hit again.
Click the photo to read more about the early wave on Saturday at Royal Troon. (AP/Peter Morrison)
Lowry pushes his lead to 3
Shane Lowry’s lead is growing after his first birdie of the day at the par-5 4th. He’s up by 3 now early as the rain starts to come down hard at Royal Troon.
Brown steadies the ship after early bogey
Daniel Brown made a bogey on No. 1 after an errant tee shot, but has been able to battle back, with a birdie on 3 to get back to 5-under for the tournament and into sole possession of second place. He’s looked totally unbothered by the moment 2+ rounds into his major championship debut.
Russell Henley’s quality third round continues
6-under thru 12 on the day, Henley has charged up into second place, and his approach play has been excellent. Not everyone can hit an iron like this from the first cut … the putt however? A gimmie in your regular weekend fourball
Justin Thomas heads to Sunday even for the tournament
Thomas is in with 4-under, 67 for Saturday’s third round. He got off to a blistering start with six birdies on his first 12 holes. After bogeys on 13 and 15, he was able to steady the ship and come in with three straight pars. He’s seven shots behind leader Shane Lowry heading into the final round.
Justin Thomas got back to even par for the tournament after Moving Day. (Warren Little/Getty Images)
