The final major of the year has begun with the running of the 152nd Open Championship and Shane Lowry is set to hold the clubhouse lead after round two, in pursuit of his second Open title, with English major debutant Daniel Brown and Justin Rose on his tail.
Lowry added a second round of 69 to his opening 66 for a halfway total of seven under par which always looked insurmountable due to a strengthening wind causing havoc for the later starters.
The 2019 champion recovered from a double bogey on the 11th with birdies on the 16th and 18th to hold a two-shot lead over the English duo of Justin Rose and Dan Brown, who both had to come through 36-hole final qualifiers earlier this month. Surprise overnight leader Brown, who had completed a flawless 65 at 9.33pm on Thursday, battled to a second round of 72, while Rose returned a superb 68 and has amazingly dropped just one shot in 36 holes.
But Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods are set to miss the cut after struggling once more.
Follow live coverage of the 152nd Open Championship below:
