Rory McIlroy six back as Haotong Li leads the Open Championship
Brian Harman, the 2023 champion, hold the clubhouse lead on eight-under with Li still to finish his round.
McIlroy, again attracting huge galleries, scrambled to a one-under 70 on Thursday and it was a similar story early in his second round as he mixed mistakes and brilliance.
The 36-year-old, bidding to win his second Open 11 years after his first, had the crowds roaring with a birdie on the first and did brilliantly to salvage a par five at the second after slicing his drive into deep rough and taking a penalty drop.
He wasted several opportunities with careless putts before birdies at the 12th and 14th lifted him to three under.
Since 1970, 89% of Open winners have been within four of the lead after 36 holes so McIlroy will have to buck that trend, but he is feeling good about his game.
"Another solid day. A couple under, improved a little bit on yesterday, hit it in play a little bit more off the tee, which was nice to have some looks out of the fairway and into some of these greens," McIlroy said afterwards.
"Yeah, it was a good day. I feel like I maybe could be a couple closer to the lead, but overall in a decent position heading into the weekend."
"I feel like I let myself down (in 2019 when he missed the cut) more than I let the fans down, but I definitely felt like it was... yeah, it was a hard pill to swallow, but at the same time, I left myself too much to do," he added.
"Then this time, yeah, I've just gotten better. I know what I need to do to get the best out of myself in an environment like that. I've been somewhat close to my best over the first two days in little bits here and there. I'm going to need to have it all under control and have it sort of all firing over the weekend to make a run."
Harman proved his liking for links golf again when he moved top of the leaderboard for a period after shooting a 65 with Li overtaking him.
The American lifted the Claret Jug at a soggy Royal Liverpool two years ago but arrived on the Antrim coast under the radar after enjoying little success since his first major triumph.
"The golf overall fan knowledge over here is unbelievable," said Harman. "They all play. They love the game. And being an Open champion over here is really cool. They know who you are. They have respect for you.
"Like I said, I love coming over here. As far as golf, it's as pure as it gets."
Li was bogey free after 12 holes with five birdies mixed in to move him to the top of the pile.
The world number 26 birdied the first two holes, however, and picked up four more shots, sinking an eight-foot putt at the last to complete a flawless round of 65 and move to eight under par.
Padráig Harrington (+10), Darren Clarke (+4) and Tom McKibbin (+3) all looked set to miss the cut as their rounds drew to a close.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
14 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Rory McIlroy not giving up pursuit of 'inevitable' Scottie Scheffler
Masters champion Rory McIlroy accepts even his considerable talents may not be enough to reel in a six-shot gap to world number one Scottie Scheffler on the final day of The Open at Royal Portrush. A third-round 66 l ifted McIlroy to eight under par but he was always playing catch up to the American, whose 67 saw him extend his overnight lead to four - with the Holywood man a further two adrift. McIlroy rode the wave of local support, enjoying the experience of having him here for all four days after he missed the cut in 2019, and in a feverish atmosphere there were times when it looked like he might produce something truly special. Three birdies in his opening four holes would have had some considering whether, in their wildest dreams, he could replicate the 61 he shot here as a 16-year-old but a major championship is a different prospect and he just could not sustain the momentum. "It was incredible, it was so much fun. I got off to the perfect start, three-under through four," said McIlroy, who described his opponent as "inevitable". "To play those last seven holes at three-under I thought was a good effort. I played well, I rode my luck at times, but I feel like I've at least given myself half a chance tomorrow. "But he's playing like Scottie. I don't think it's a surprise. Everyone's seen the way he's played or plays over the last two or three years. "He's just so solid. He doesn't make mistakes. He's turned himself into a really consistent putter as well so there doesn't seem to be any weakness there. "Whenever you're trying to chase down a guy like that, it's hard to do. But he's incredibly impressive." The first four holes were vintage McIlroy, holing putts from 36 and 27 feet – for eagle – before a brilliant approach to seven feet at the fourth picked up another shot. But his momentum stalled and a bizarre incident on the 11th when his shot from the rough dislodged a previously buried ball resulted in a bogey. However, the response was thrilling, holing a monster 56-foot eagle putt – his longest of the week – at the 12th which produced the loudest roar of the tournament with another birdie coming after hitting the flagstick at 15. "The eagle on 12 was one of the coolest moments – it's one of the largest roars I've ever heard on a golf course," added McIlroy. "What happened on 11, my ball came out so strange. I thought I was going to get a flier and I looked up at my ball and I could see it spinning up against the wind. "I obviously had no idea there was a ball anywhere close to my ball. It's never happened to me before." To take his mind off Scheffler McIlroy will return to the three-hour epic Oppenheimer on Saturday night. "I started Oppenheimer last night and I'll try to get through another hour of it tonight and maybe finish it tomorrow morning," he added. "Apart from that, just keep my mind off of things. I always do better with distraction so if I can just distract myself and get my mind on something else that's always a good plan for me."
RTÉ News
14 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
Scottie Scheffler in command in Portrush but Rory McIlroy challenge still alive
Relentless Scottie Scheffler kept his head as others around him were losing theirs, but while his main rivals fell away, the spectre of Rory McIlroy loomed in the distance. However, the Holywood man's six-shot deficit may be too far back even for someone who completed the career Grand Slam at the Masters earlier this year, considering the quality of his quarry. Shane Lowry's woes continued as he fell to three-over par. The Offaly man, controversially hit with a two-shot penalty at the end of Friday's play, revealed afterwards that a virus had left him unwell during his round, but he refused to use it as an excuse. A triple bogey was particularly costly for Lowry as he finished his day in a tie for 63rd and on three-over par. McIlroy's description of Scheffler as "inevitable" summed up the situation perfectly, as while the American was not as spectacular as he was on Friday in assuming the lead, his progress to a 67 and a four-shot advantage was serene. Matt Fitzpatrick, who began the day one behind, briefly drew level after an eagle at the second but he was never able to edge himself in front, and every time he slipped up he was punished by his playing partner, either by moving another shot away or saving an unlikely par. McIlroy, six groups ahead, rode the wave of home support hyped by three birdies in his first four holes, and while his momentum stalled it was reignited by a monster 56-foot eagle putt – his longest of the week – at the 12th which produced the loudest roar of the tournament. It was important as he had bogeyed the previous hole in a bizarre incident when his shot from the rough dislodged a previously buried ball. But it was a stroke of good luck at the 15th which brought his final birdie of the day as, coming out hot from the rough, it bounced against the flagstick and dropped four feet from the hole. McIlroy mania reached its peak at the 17th. With his burnt orange shirt appearing red on television screens, the sight of him marching out of the packed gallery surrounded by thousands of fans was reminiscent of Tiger Woods. The crowd were so ramped they went wild as he pitched 33 feet past the hole, offering little chance of birdie, but they believed – as they will continue to do on Sunday. The Masters champion, however, is a little more realistic. "Scottie Scheffler, he is inevitable. Even when he doesn't have his best stuff he has become a compete player," said McIlroy. "It's going to be tough to catch him tomorrow if he keeps playing the way he does, but if I can get out tomorrow with a similar start to today and get the crowd going, hopefully he feels that behind me – and you never know." Scheffler looks unshakeable, though. Already with a three-shot lead, he birdied the difficult Calamity Corner 16th for the third successive day and the gap was looking as big as the chasm in front of the par three. China's ultra-consistent Haotong Li is his closest challenger, with Fitzpatrick dropping back to nine under – where he started the round – having reached 11 under. Scheffler reeled off six straight pars but still did not lose his overnight lead before a back-to-back eagle and birdie represented a gear shift. His back nine included eight pars, and the kind of nerveless saves which have made him one of the most successful and consistent golfers of the last three years – closing out victory the last 10 times he has held the outright 54-hole leads. "A lot of it is staying patient. I know what I need to do tomorrow and it is a matter of going out and doing it," said Scheffler, whose three majors wins have all come leading after the third round. DAY 3 RECAP - MCILROY FINISHES SIX BACK "I'm not thinking about winning The Open when I go to sleep tonight." Englishman Tyrrell Hatton got himself to nine under but a bogey at the 16th halted his progress, while slightly further down the leaderboard 52-year-old compatriot Lee Westwood had a round of two halves, going out in 40 before an Open record-equalling 29 for the back nine. "It was a good back nine, wasn't it? I'd have taken 29 on the back nine stood on the 10th tee," he said. Defending champion Xander Schauffele, who started the day two under having been in danger of missing the cut until a birdie run on his Friday back nine, played the three par-fives in five under with two eagles on the back nine after a birdie at the second. His 66 moved him to seven under but the two-time major winner accepts he is too far back. "It would have to be a perfect storm situation, it doesn't look like any of those boys up front are letting up," he said.
Irish Daily Mirror
14 minutes ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Rory McIlroy dubs Scottie Scheffler 'inevitable' after joining chase in The Open
Rory McIlroy admits he will need to go nuclear in his final round in The Open to challenge the 'inevitable' Scottie Scheffler for the Claret Jug. McIlroy fired a third round 66 - his lowest weekend round at a major - in Portrush to move to 8-under for the championship and into joint fourth place. But halfway leader Scheffler was unflappable again, reeling off a cool 4-under par 67 to take a four-shot lead over nearest chaser Haotong Li into the final round, with McIlroy six behind. The Holywood star will finish watching Oppenheimer to get him in the mood after starting to watch the movie starring Cillian Murphy on Friday night. That got him in the mood - the 35-year-old exploded into life from the start of his third round as the home crowd roared him on. "Yeah, it was incredible," said McIlroy, who pointed to his 56-foot eagle putt on 12 as the highlight. "It was one of the coolest moments, it's one of the largest roars I've ever heard on a golf course. It was so much fun to play in front of my fans. I got off to the perfect start, sort of like the dream start, to be able to be 3-under through 4 and have 5 and 7 to play. To not birdie those was a little disappointing. Scottie Scheffler tees off the 10th (Image: ©INPHO/Ben Brady) "Then to play those last seven holes at 3-under I thought was a good effort. Yeah, I played well. I rode my luck at times, but it was an incredible atmosphere out there. I feel like I've at least given myself half a chance tomorrow." McIlroy added: "I'll try to find something to watch. I started Oppenheimer last night - will try to get through another hour of it tonight and maybe finish it tomorrow morning. "Apart from that, just keep my mind off of things. I always do better with distraction. So if I can just distract myself and get my mind on something else, that's always a good plan for me." For all that, McIlroy only gained one shot on Scheffler, who went bogey-free and made an eagle and two birdies. "He's playing like Scottie," said McIlroy. "I don't think it's a surprise. Everyone's seen the way he's played or plays over the last two or three years. "He's just so solid. He doesn't make mistakes. It looked like he could have made bogey on 14 there - he's turned himself into a really consistent putter as well. So there doesn't seem to be any weakness there. Whenever you're trying to chase down a guy like that, it's hard to do. But he's incredibly impressive." Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.
