The Open 2025: McIlroy, MacIntyre & Hatton chasing leader Harman

The Open, circular 2 leaderboard

-10 Scheffler (US); -9 Fitzpatrick (Eng); -8 Harman (US), Li (Chn)

Selected: -5 R Hojgaard (Den), Hatton (Eng), MacIntyre (Sco), English (US), Gotterup (US); -4 N Hojgaard (Den); -3 Bradley (US), McIlroy (NI); -2 Rose (Eng), Aberg (Swe)

Full leaderboard

Scottie Scheffler battled the worst of the torrential downpours that battered Royal Portrush to sprout a commanding 64 and unfastened a one-shot pb implicit Matt Fitzpatrick astatine the halfway signifier of The Open.

The satellite fig one's high-class circular - his lowest circular successful a large - featured 8 birdies and 1 bogey arsenic the US PGA Championship victor precocious to 10 under.

Fitzpatrick, the 2022 US Open champion, signed for an arsenic awesome 66 that besides contained 8 birdies.

Former champion Brian Harman and China's Li Haotong are successful 3rd connected 8 under.

England's Tyrrell Hatton and Robert MacIntyre of Scotland - who some contended successful past month's US Open - are successful a radical connected 5 under, alongside Denmark's Ryder Cup hopeful Rasmus Hojgaard, past week's astonishment Scottish Open victor Chris Gotterup and his chap American Harris English.

Hatton revealed his pre-Open mentation was an evening circular with friends astatine a adjacent transportation and putt course, followed by 3 pints of a section stout.

When asked if helium would repetition the drinks aft Friday's round, helium replied: "Be rude not to. I deliberation three's the magic number."

World fig 2 Rory McIlroy was again wayward disconnected the tee arsenic helium scrambled to a 69 to stay successful contention connected 3 under.

He is connected the aforesaid people arsenic US Ryder Cup skipper Keegan Bradley, who continues to play to a level that brings into question what his relation volition beryllium for the lucifer against Europe astatine Bethpage Black successful September.

Ireland's Shane Lowry, victor present successful 2019, was penalised 2 strokes by organisers the R&A aft his shot was adjudged to person moved successful the unsmooth connected the 12th spread portion helium was taking a signifier swing.

He accepted the penalty, which near him level par for the title and conscionable wrong the chopped people of 1 over, which sees the apical 70 positive ties, play the last 2 rounds.

"I'm disappointed that they don't person much camera angles connected it," helium said.

"I told them I decidedly was looking down towards the shot arsenic I was taking that signifier swing, and I didn't spot it move."

Scheffler started the week by revealing his regular wrestle with wherefore helium plays the sport but his accomplishment has shone done the mostly gloomy conditions helium has encountered truthful far.

An opening 68 near him 1 disconnected the gait and helium maintained his laser-sharp absorption connected Friday, with a birdie connected the archetypal arsenic the rainfall lashed down.

"We get to the archetypal hole, it's sunny. Then each of a sudden, you look astir and it's ace acheronian and it starts pouring rain," helium said.

"You're like, 'boy, I wonderment however agelong this is going to last'."

That acceptable the code for his time and a hat-trick of birdies from the 5th were followed by different connected the 10th to scope 8 under.

Fitzpatrick, retired an hr oregon truthful earlier, was scaling adjacent greater heights. The Yorkshireman, who had shared the overnight pb connected 4 under, had 4 birdies successful his opening 7 holes.

Four much followed from the 10th arsenic helium was the archetypal to scope 10 under. A abbreviated missed putt connected the 14th outgo him a changeable and a three-foot birdie effort connected the 17th lipped retired arsenic the good margins went against him.

But immense cheers rang retired arsenic helium bravely holed a 24-foot par putt connected the past to enactment astatine 9 under.

"I felt similar each facet of my crippled was on," said Fitzpatrick.

"I'm giving myself an accidental to triumph the play tournament, but there's inactive a agelong mode to go."

With the day gloom giving mode to evening sun, Scheffler took vantage of greens that were softer and much receptive pursuing the rainfall to person 3 much birdie chances, including connected the 16th and 17th, and borderline clear.

"Fortunately, it didn't determination the full time," helium said. "We had 4 oregon 5 holes wherever it was truly coming down, and I was capable to instrumentality vantage wherever we had bully weather."

Earlier successful the day, Harman resurrected memories of his tally to the 2023 Open rubric astatine Royal Liverpool with a bogey-free 65.

His complaint echoed his show connected the Wirral coast, erstwhile helium besides changeable a second-round 65.

Harman was dubbed "the butcher of Hoylake" during his relentless march to the Claret Jug arsenic a effect of his propensity to slay and devour large game.

When asked if helium was inactive enjoying hunting, helium replied: "Yeah, large hunter, large fisherman.

"I didn't realise that everyone was truthful upset astir it. It's a elevation I'll dice on. I'll slumber similar a babe astatine night."

He dissected 1 of the world's toughest courses connected Friday, with 3 birdies successful his opening 7 holes and 3 much connected the backmost nine.

Li, who astir discontinue the athletics successful 2023 aft making 2 cuts successful 20 DP World Tour events, played done the day rainfall to station a 2nd successive 67.

He finished 3rd connected his Open debut successful 2017 aft a closing circular of 63 astatine Royal Birkdale.

MacIntyre, 1 of a grounds 8 left-handers successful this year's Open field, changeable a second-round 66 that featured six birdies - with his lone dropped changeable coming connected the exacting par-three 16th.

However, the satellite fig 14 atoned for that bogey by knocking successful a 20-foot putt from the borderline of the 17th greenish for a birdie.

That lifted the Scot to the aforesaid people arsenic Hatton, who was his accustomed animated aforesaid arsenic helium mixed 4 birdies with 2 bogeys successful his 69.

"I'm successful a bully spot," said MacIntyre, who finished runner-up to JJ Spaun astatine the US Open, with Hatton tied fourth.

"I'm not scared. I'm not going to backmost away. If I've got a chance, I'm going to rotation the dice. I've got truthful overmuch much assurance and truthful overmuch much content that I americium bully enough."

The torrential rainfall arrived with McIlroy connected the 18th spread but helium retained his composure to decorativeness with a coagulated par, portion his Ryder Cup team-mate Ludvig Aberg missed a tiddler for birdie connected the past to extremity connected 2 under.

English brace Justin Rose and Harry Hall are besides astatine 2 under. After a bogey-free opening, Rose dropped his archetypal changeable of the title connected the par-three sixth.

Three much shots went connected the 11th aft losing a shot successful a bush but 2 birdies constricted the harm arsenic helium signed for a 71.

In-form Hall, who is emerging arsenic a astonishment contender for Luke Donald's European team, made 7 birdies and 3 bogeys successful a 67.

McIlroy's playing spouse Tommy Fleetwood started rapidly with 4 birdies successful his opening 7 holes to amended to 2 under.

His lone bogey, astatine the 18th, saw him station a 68 for a one-under full that volition mean the 2019 runner-up volition beryllium astatine Portrush for the weekend.

After a seven-over 78 successful circular one, Bryson DeChambeau looked acceptable for an aboriginal formation backmost to the US. However, helium bounced backmost with a 65 connected Friday to marque the cut.

He said aft Thursday's circular helium had told himself: "I privation to spell home.

"But I woke up and said, 'I can't springiness up'. My dada ever told maine ne'er to springiness up.

"I truly persevered done immoderate emotionally hard moments, and to clasp myself unneurotic and not slam clubs and propulsion things similar I wanted to, I was arrogant of myself."

Fellow American English is successful the radical astatine 5 nether aft shooting a one-under 70.

He is utilizing his putting manager Ramon Bescansa arsenic his caddie this week aft his accustomed bagman Eric Larson was denied a visa due to the fact that of a cause conviction from much than 30 years agone that led to him serving 10 years successful prison.

Meanwhile, nary Silver Medal volition beryllium awarded aft each 9 amateurs missed the chopped - the archetypal clip that has happened since Royal Portrush successful 2019.