Live The Open 2025, second round: Fitzpatrick leads and McIlroy in contention

Telegraph

18-07-2025

18 July 2025 8:21am
8:21AM
Players must be hit where it hurts to cure scourge of slow play
Officials judged JJ Spaun to have recorded a 'bad time' here at the 153rd Open Championship and the US Open champion's playing partners, Jon Rahm and Xander Schauffele, were not best pleased.
Goodness knows how they identified Spaun alone. Rounds were taking beyond six hours by the end of the opening day – everybody was slow and they surely could not blame one player. Indeed, picking out Spaun in this trail of the slugs was akin to singling out an Irishman here for having the odd pint.
In fairness, however, Spaun is not quick and clearly was not quick and in this respect, it is gratifying to witness the referees actually enforcing the rules, even if it was in an isolated case. Now let us see if they follow this through.
Should Spaun record another 'bad time' in the second round, he will receive a penalty shot and an example would thus be made. If you pardon the pun, it would be long overdue.
8:09AM
Not the best start for two Masters champions
Sergio Garcia is one over for the day so far after three holes (and just narrowly missed a birdie putt) and Adam Scott is two over for the day, with a putt to save par on the fourth. They are even and three over for the tournament respectively.
8:03AM
The first hole was the most difficult yesterday
Not hard to see why, really. Will that continue today?
7:58AM
Who is doing well so far today?
American amateur Ethan Fang, for one. He is at two under for the day (two over for the tournament) after three after back-to-back birdies.
Back-to-back birdies for Amateur Champion Ethan Fang. pic.twitter.com/oY650D8ZN3
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 18, 2025
However, he has found a tricky fairway bunker on the fourth.
7:53AM
Tee times: Some early groups of interest
7:08 am Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, Ethan Fang (a)
7:19 am Laurie Canter, Elvis Smylie, Sergio Garcia
7:52 am Si Woo Kim, Shugo Imahira, Sebastian Cave (a)
8:25 am Keegan Bradley, Sungjae Im, Daniel Berger
8:36 am Rasmus Hojgaard, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Romain Langasque
8:47 am Aaron Rai, Sahith Theegala, Harry Hall
9:25 am Brian Harman, Maverick McNealy, Joaquin Niemann
9:36 am Russell Henley, Tyrrell Hatton, Min Woo Lee
9:47 am Robert MacIntyre, Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Rose
9:58 am Jordan Spieth, Ludvig Aberg, Viktor Hovland
10:09 am Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood
10:20 am Harris English, Nick Taylor, Tony Finau
7:41AM
Good morning
Welcome to our live coverage of day two of the 2025 Open Championship which comes from Royal Portrush. The first day yesterday was a tremendous day of any major championship, with nobody tearing the course up and plenty of big names in the reckoning at this early stage.
A good chunk of players were at even par or better after the opening round, with five players posting scores of four-under 67. They include Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Harris English, Jacob Skov Olesen, Li Haotong and Matt Fitzpatrick. There is plenty of home interest, too, with Tyrell Hatton, Matthew Jordan (-3), Aaron Rai, Lee Westwood, Justin Rose (-2) and Rory McIlroy (-1) towards the upper reaches of the leaderboard.
Clearly the biggest story this week (for all that of Shane Lowry returning to the scene of his greatest triumph...) is McIlroy. His round yesterday had its moments. At one point (hole 10) he reached three under par and within one shot of the leaders. Then came three bogeys in the next four holes before a birdie at 17 got him back to one under, where he finished.
It is a cliche that you cannot win the Open in the first round but you can lose it and, as much as he would have liked to have finished a couple of shots better, McIlroy has put himself in contention at this early stage. Mind you, he is not the only name who had a decent Thursday. World No 1 Scottie Scheffler managed to score a 68, though not without a few difficulties, 2023 champion Brian Harman is also at two under, with Jon Rahm and Shane Lowry at one under.
Really, at this stage, anyone who is not too far away from that score of four under is far from out of it. And that is the joy of major golf. Today is set up for another intriguing day of action in County Antrim, with a few early groups out already.