The Open 2022: second spherical updates from St Andrews – reside! | The Open

No spark from Scottie Scheffler but. Since that opening bogey dropped him again to -3 he’s made three pars though the Masters champ will fancy a primary pink variety of the day on the par-5 fifth. Scheffler has simply boomed one down the green to extend the possibilities of that.

Marcus Armitage provides a par at 10 to stay in tied sixth. The Huddersfield professional is nicknamed ‘The Bullet’ however for much less glamorous causes than you would possibly suppose. That moniker is because of him ordering a golf glove from America that was presupposed to say ‘The Bulldog’. One thing obtained misplaced in translation and his glove arrived with ‘The Bullet’ embroidered on it as a substitute. Nonetheless, all of it provides to his cult standing.

In distinction to Paul McGinley, Nick Faldo reckons right this moment’s pins are “tucked a yard nearer” than yesterday.

I’ve simply totted up the numbers and the sector is a mixed 15-over thus far right this moment. Not that simple then!

You’ll do nicely to search out many participant stats from yesterday however there are some intelligent individuals recording them.

Datagolf have all of the R1 Strokes Gained numbers so what have been the strengths (or weaknesses) of Rory McIlroy’s sport in his 6-under 66 yesterday?

Right here’s how he ranked [in a field of 156] within the numerous statistical classes:

Off The Tee: seventh
Strategy: sixty fifth
Round The Inexperienced: twenty ninth
Tee To Inexperienced: eighth
Placing: sixth

Sturdy in most areas however maybe these strategy numbers are a slight concern. Rory could have to tighten up his iron play slightly.

England’s Marcus Armitage continues his surge up the leaderboard and a birdie at 9 takes him out in 3-under 33. Now -4, he’s as much as tied sixth, a leap of 29 spots on the day. Is he the 2022 incarnation of 1995 Steven Bottomley?

Dustin Johnson balances the books with a birdie at 3 wiping out his opening bogey. He’s additionally at -4, 4 behind Cameron Younger.

Will the softer situations result in the crazy-low scoring that was predicted in the beginning of this week?

Former European Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley, thinks so.

Nonetheless, the locals aren’t as satisfied. Matt simply despatched me this:

“On my first evening, after I sat outdoors the Jigger Inn with a pint, an previous boy who performs golf within the city (and is superb) stated: “They’ll defend the course with the pin positions. They’ll be tighter than we’ve seen right here ever earlier than.”

The present BBC climate forecast suggests the rain will ease and wind speeds gained’t get above 11mph. A little bit of solar could poke by way of round 4pm however in any other case it’s cloudy. Really a slight fog for the time being.

Tiger Woods slumped to a six-over 78 in spherical one, the agony strung out over six hours and 18 minutes. He lastly spoke to the press at 9.25pm. Right here’s what he needed to say after capturing the joint-highest opening spherical of his Open profession.

General ideas: “Properly, in all probability highest rating as I may have shot. Didn’t get off to a fantastic begin. Hit tee shot down 1, ended up proper in the course of a recent divot. And I hit shot. Wind gusts hit it and ended up within the burn.

“So I believe I had perhaps 4 or 5 3-putts right this moment. Simply wasn’t superb on the greens. And each putt I left quick. I struggled with hitting the putts onerous sufficient. They seemed quicker than what they have been placing, and I struggled with it.

On his bodily points: “It was so much simpler right this moment, bodily, than it has been the opposite two occasions (Masters and US PGA), for positive.”

On the quick, agency situations: “We performed Liverpool (Hoylake 2006) like that. Nevertheless it was simply totally different. Liverpool doesn’t have the quantity of slopes that St Andrews has. The fairways are flatter. So the ball clearly, you’ve gotten extra management on the bottom. Right here you actually don’t have as a lot management. They have been fast.

On making an attempt to make the minimize: “Seems like I’m going to should shoot 66 tomorrow to have an opportunity. So clearly it has been achieved. Guys did it right this moment. And that’s my duty tomorrow is to go forward and do it. Must do it.”

Tiger tees off in spherical two at 9.58am.

8.51am BST leaderboard

The tucked entrance pin on the first remains to be catching a number of out.

Haotong Li racked up a triple-bogey seven after his first strategy pinged again from the Swilcan Burn and his second landed straight in it! Aussie Marc Leishman additionally discovered the moist stuff and took six.

Scottie Scheffler cleared it however maybe too comfortably. A great distance from the opening, he wanted three putts to get down in order that’s a gap bogey. Again to -3 though he’s launched a stunning tee shot from the 2nd.

As play appeared to get slower and slower yesterday and teams backed up on tees and fairways, it appeared unlikely that the ultimate teams would full in time.

They did – simply – and it was 10.10pm when England’s Robert Dinwiddie birdied the closing gap to finish a 67 and share third place. A protracted day forward then!

Speaking of Englishmen, Marcus Armitage has simply rolled in a birdie putt from round 15 toes on the sixth. Again-to-back par breakers and he’s as much as the tied thirteenth.

The large names are coming thick and quick and right here goes the world No 1 Scottie Scheffler.

A low iron down the first fairway accompanied by his trademark foot slide by way of influence and the American is off and working.

Up on the inexperienced, a three-putt bogey for Dustin Johnson. DJ drops again to -3, now one again from Scheffler and 5 behind chief Cameron Younger.

Others to have gone additional below par this morning are Ryan Fox and Marcus Armitage.

Kiwi Fox, the son of rugby union legend Grant, has damaged a run of seven pars with a birdie at 8 whereas England’s Armitage has a scorecard exhibiting 4-4-4-4-4. That equates to 4 pars and a birdie on the lengthy fifth. Each have nudged as much as -2, at the moment tied twenty sixth.

The R&A should be scared of a LIV golfer successful their historic a hundred and fiftieth Open Championship. Dustin Johnson, a two-time main champion, might be the largest menace to that, let’s say it, nightmare state of affairs and he’s simply teed off on the 1st, punching an iron down the massive fairway.

With much less wind and a slighter tender course, that may go well with Johnson, who begins the day 4 off the lead at -4.

Or perhaps Talor Gooch would be the man to induce full squirm as he rolls in a ten footer on the third gap to offer him a second birdie of the day. Gooch joins McIlroy in tied second at -6.

Matt Cooper, who’s sharing weblog duties with me this week, is reside at St Andrews. So, set the scene please Matt. What’s the climate doing? How are course situations?

“Feels gettable this morning. Streets moist on the stroll to city. Not so moist that you simply positively want waterproofs. Not a lot wind.

“Not sufficient rain to genuinely change the dynamic. Simply providing the sector a little bit of assist.”

Some early strikes on the leaderboard from Talor Gooch and Si Woo Kim. American Gooch, who switched to LIV final month, holed for birdie on the 1st to leap as much as -5 and that’s ok for tied third.

Kim, a former winner of The Gamers Championship, additionally birdied the opener to get to -4 and has stayed there with a pair of pars.

Pin positions for spherical two. Extra tucking occurring.

Proper, let’s go on day two. And to get you within the temper… this. Enjoyable reality: composer Brian Bennett was the drummer in The Shadows.

Preamble