If Li and Fitzpatrick do not get closer to Scheffler tonight, they will have a tough time overtaking him tomorrow. Scheffler has won the last nine times he has led after 54 holes.
Scottie Scheffler sinks a birdie putt to move to 14 under par. That stretches his lead to four shots.
Birdie for Fitzpatrick at the 15th
Matt Fitzpatrick sinks a birdie putt at the 15th to move back to ten under par. It’s a par for Scheffler, who is three shots ahead.
Fitzpatrick four shots behind Scheffler
After a bogey at the 13th, Fitzpatrick and Scheffler both make par on the 14th. Fitzpatrick has slipped four shots behind the American, with Haotong Li currently in second place.
McIlroy cards round of 66
Rory McIlroy completes his round by making par at the 18th. That’s a round of 66 for McIlroy, who is currently in joint-fifth place on five under.
McIlroy’s drive lets him down
Rory McIlroy managed to make par at the 17th but his drive at the 18th has not gone according to plan. He ends up a few inches away from the fairway but just avoided a bunker.
Rory McIlroy had to get among the spectators to play his second shot at the 17th and manages to find the green.
Fitzpatrick narrowly misses out on a birdie
Matt Fitzpatrick’s birdie putt on the 12th hits the lip and stays out. Scheffler has made par despite finding the bunker.
Li drops a shot at the 13th
Haotong Li had not dropped a shot today — until the 13th. He is now joint-third with Tyrrell Hatton on nine under par.
McIlroy’s wayward drive ends up in the crowd
Rory McIlroy is on the 17th but is instantly in trouble as a wayward drive ends up among the spectators. Will he be able to find a way out of this?
Justin Rose has completed his round of 68, which included eight birdies. The Englishman ends the day five under par after three rounds.
Scheffler finds the bunker at the 12th
Hope for Matt Fitzpatrick? Scheffler’s drive on the 12th ends up in the bunker and Fitzpatrick avoids the same fate. Meanwhile, it is fair to say Bob MacIntyre did not enjoy his latest shot on the 14th, flinging his club in the air in disgust.
Fitzpatrick drops a shot on the 11th
Moments after Scheffler sinks a putt for par on the 11th, Matt Fitzpatrick falls a shot further behind with a bogey. Scheffler now leads by three shots.
Haotong Li is now ten under after sinking a birdie putt at the 11th.
Scheffler has to settle for par
Scheffler has to make do with par at the 10th, so he remains two shots clear of Matt Fitzpatrick.
Schauffele completes impressive round
Xander Schauffele completes a fantastic round and signs for a five-under 66. He is seven under for the tournament and gives himself a real shot at defending his title tomorrow. I say that, but Scheffler has just played his approach to within 15 feet at the 10th and will have a good look at birdie to move to 14 under and three shots clear.
Gotterup sinks 15th eagle of the day
There is so much movement up and down the leaderboard here. MacIntyre moves back to seven under, level with Mcilroy after a birdie at the 11th while Chris Gotterup sinks the 15th eagle of the day at the 12th and joins Tyrrell Hatton on eight under. There’s a big hold for par at the 9th for Fitzpatrick to keep him in touch of Scheffler as they reach the turn.
Huge crowds following Rory…
Scheffler has breathing room
I’m sure Scottie Scheffler will have heard the noise coming from the 12th green just now as McIlroy sunk that monster putt. Well, in his usual fashion he is quietly going about his business and he follows his eagle at the 7th with a birdie at the 8th to go 13 under and puts some daylight between him and Fitzpatrick who is back at 11 under. That putter seems to be warming up…
McIlroy drains HUGE eagle putt
McIlroy has just sent the crowd in the grandstand around the green on the par-five 12th crazy. He pours in a HUGE 56-foot eagle putt in response to his bogey at the 11th and is straight back in touch with the leaders. Unbelievable shot.
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Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceScottie takes outright lead
And there it is… He’s had a slow start today but Scheffler finally gets off the mark in a big way at the 7th. The world No1 becomes the latest to cash in on the 595-yard par five and is on the green in two, then confidently sinks the eagle putt from 10 feet and moves to 12 under.
It puts the pressure on Fitzpatrick, but the Yorkshireman holds his nerve and follows Scheffler to hole a birdie and stays within one of the American. Scottie’s putter had been running a little cold up to that point, but that could have just ignited it.
Ball confusion and a bogey for McIlroy
I have just come back into the media centre after two hours out on the course keeping an eye on various groups (Stuart Fraser writes). Rory McIlroy was not on my list to follow today but I could tell how he was doing by the loud cheers that were reverberating around the links. It really feels as if an already intensely passionate atmosphere has ramped up even further today.
Amusingly, the first shot I have just seen from McIlroy on the large television screens here is perhaps one of the most bizarre moments of his career. In hitting his approach from the rough on the 11th hole, he has made contact with another ball that was buried underneath. To his relief, there is no penalty as he clearly hit his own ball first before the rogue ball popped up out of the thick turf.
Anyway, the local hero has work to do; he has left himself a 24-foot putt to save par here. He doesn’t make it and Rory gives a shot back leaving him five under and five back from the leaders.
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Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceTyrrell holes out from downtown
This afternoon is getting better and better. Tyrrell Hatton has seen birdies galore, eagles and a hole in one happen in front of him and said, “hold my beer”.
He holes out from 139 yards to make eagle at the par-five 7th and it moves him to eight under, just two shots behind the leaders. Take a bow, sir.
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That’s better from Bob MacIntyre. The Scot is on the green in two at the par-five 7th and he cleans up a seven-footer for eagle. All of a sudden he has the leaders in his sights on seven under and three back.
Up at the 10th McIlroy has smoked his three-wood off the tee and gives himself a good birdie chance.
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Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceSchauffele with a monster putt at 12th
Oh my word… Xander Schauffele drains a monster 44-foot eagle putt at the 12th and joins the ever-increasing group of players on six under. That’s the second eagle of the day for the reigning champion who is cashing in on the par fives today.
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Right on cue, Tyrrell Hatton birdies the 5th and moves to six under. He’s looked frustrated out there so far, but that should relieve a bit of tension as he joins McIlroy four off the lead.
Slow starts for Hatton and MacIntyre
Tyrrell Hatton and Bob MacIntyre have both made quiet starts today. The former is yet to find a birdie through his first four holes and is still on five under. The latter briefly drops a shot at the 4th but responds well with a birdie at the 5th. He remains level for the day on five under as well.
Birdie chance goes begging for Rory
That’ll feel like a dropped shot for Rory. He plays a brilliant tee shot and reaches the green in three at the par-five 7th, but his birdie putt slides millimetres off line and he taps home for par. It’s a missed chance to move within three of the leaders for the Northern Irishman.
Wow. Matt Fitzpatrick briefly drops back to eight under after a disappointing bogey at the 1st, but he has quickly put that to the back of his mind. He chips in from the left of the green at the par-five 2nd for eagle and immediately draws level with Scheffler on ten under. The world No1 should take his outright lead straight back, but his birdie putt from five feet lips out and he has to settle for par. You do not see that very often from Scottie.
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A difficult day for Shane Lowry comes to an end. Both him and Rahm finish their rounds and I think it is fair to say they will not be contesting for the Claret Jug tomorrow. Lowry shoots 74 and is three over, Rahm finishes two under with a more respectable 69.
A little more action in the back nine; Fleetwood gets another birdie at the 12th and moves to five under. His excellent round continues.
A downtrodden Lowry approaches the 18th green
ANDREW REDINGTON/GETTY
Rose’s bubble has burst
I’m not sure what has happened to Justin Rose at the 8th, but he is playing a little like myself all of a sudden. He sprays his tee shot into the right-hand side thick rough, and his second shot somehow ends up in the rough on the other side of the neighbouring hole. I mean, he’s pretty much gone backwards… It’ll be damage limitation from here for Rosey who will certainly be giving at least a shot back.
Some verbals from the home crowd for Scottie…
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Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceScheffler and Fitzpatrick make solid starts
Opening pars for Scheffler and Fitzpatrick. Just before them, Harman has a stinker on the 1st as he sends his approach into the greenside bunker and two-putts to make double bogey. He takes an early tumble down the leaderboard.
Rose tearing through front nine
Make that five birdies in six for Justin Rose. The Englishman is absolutely tearing through this front nine. He plays a fantastic approach from the right-hand side rough at the 7th and cleans up a six-foot putt to move to six under. What a year he is having.
Back at the 1st, Scottie Scheffler and Matt Fitzpatrick are under way. They’re both neat and tidy off the tee and that is the last of our pairings to start. There is a hell of a lot going on ahead of the top two. Birdies dropping left, right and centre; this is going to be some afternoon.
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Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceMacIntyre and Hatton under way
MacIntyre tees off at the 1st starting his round on five under…
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… And Hatton, also on five under, follows just behind
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What a response to his bogey at the 1st. Justin Rose has four birdies in his last five holes.
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Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceHe gets it… Rory to six under
The celebrations are getting louder every time as McIlroy sinks his third birdie. He is four off Scheffler’s lead now… I think it is safe to say he is on the charge!
Good birdie chance for McIlroy
A lovely swing from Rory at the 4th. He flushes his eight-iron from the fairway and immediately starts following the shot… you know what that means. He leaves himself a seven footer for a third birdie.
Russell Henley is going nicely today and is six under for his round so far thanks to a birdie at the 11th and an eagle at the par-five 12th. he is just four off Scheffler’s lead. Reigning champion Xander Schauffele has just poured in an eagle putt too back at the par-five 7th and he moves to four under.
Tommy Fleetwood reaches the turn at four under after a brilliant front-nine 33 after a birdie at the 9th.
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Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceBack-to-back birdies for McIlroy
It’s back-to-back birdies for McIlroy and he looks dialled in. He leaves a massive 27-foot eagle putt a few inches short but takes his birdie. What a start this is from McIlroy. Conditions are perfect for scoring out there, and the crowd are right behind him as you would expect; what could possibly go wrong?
A look at the early starters
Right, Mcilroy is out, and there are plenty of big names about to tee off, so I will do my best to keep you up to date with the action across the course…
Bryson signs for a third-round 68 and nearly drains a huge birdie putt at the 18th. He almost reads it perfectly but the ball stops inches wide of the cup. He takes par and it’s another good day for the former US Open champion.
Rose and Aberg are both going well and sink back-to-back birdies at the 2nd and 3rd. Aberg sinks a 21 footer for his birdie at the 3rd. Both are such classy operators.
Fleetwood is trying his best to keep his early momentum ticking along, but is getting a little frustrated. Another birdie chance goes begging for the man from Southport after his putt from the edge of the green at the par-five 7th goes long. He remains on three under.
Parry finishes with a bogey to sign for a four-under 67. What a day for that man. A hole in one at the Open. Incredible stuff.
Bobby Mac and Tyrrell Hatton to come…
Birdie at 1st for McIlroy
Oh yes… it’s a birdie start for McIlroy and the crowd love that. I’m not even sure he can believe it, but he pours in a 36-foot putt from the right of the green; the Northern Irishman read it perfectly, with just the right line and weight. What a shot. Great start for the local hero and he goes straight to four under.
He sends his tee shot into the first cut on the elbow of the dog leg on the par-five 2nd. That’ll do.
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Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceBrilliant front nine for England’s Matt Wallace
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McIlroy is about to get under way. His playing partner is England’s Jordan Smith and he creams his driver down the middle of the fairway. The Northern Irishman gets a huge round of applause as he steps up and he hits the left of the fairway. Good start.
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Hello John Parry. He follows his incredible hole in one at the 13th with a birdie at the 15th, sinking a 14-foot putt. The 38-year-old is five under for the round and doesn’t have a single blemish on his card so far with three holes to play.
Fleetwood gets another birdie too back at the 6th and moves to three under. Keep it up Tommy.
Parry smiles after his hole in one at the 13th
ANDREW REDINGTON/GETTY
Updates from across the course
Right, a little look across the course. Lowry finally gets a birdie at the par-four 10th and is back to evens, and his playing partner Rahm also gets home in three. In fact, Rahmbo goes back-to-back with another at the 11th and is now at one under.
DeChambeau is two under and has continued his impressive comeback after a first-round 78. He pars 15 and has a few more scoring opportunities today.
A couple of pars follow Fleetwood’s eagle at the 2nd. He has a good go at a 33-foot birdie putt at the 4th but doesn’t have the line.
Back at the 1st, Ryder Cup team-mates Justin Rose and Ludvig Aberg are under way. It’s a bad start for Rosey who drops a shot and moves straight to one under.
LIV players will have to pay own fines for competing elsewhere
Graeme McDowell has proved an erudite analyst on Sky Sport this week (Rick Broadbent writes). He also gave me his thoughts on the situation with LIV Golf and the fact that players are still fined for playing events that clash with DP World Tour ones. Tyrrell Hatton and Jon Rahm have appealed their fines but the hearings will take place after the Ryder Cup. Convenient, that. “Right now LIV pay our fines,” he said. “That was part of the contract, but we are not indemnified for those fines as of December 31 of this year.”
“So at the end of this year, come hell or high water, something has to be figured out. As of January 1 Jon Rahm will be paying those fines out of his own pocket. I can tell you that his attitude will change quite quickly towards the European Tour if that starts to happen.”
Conners sets the pace today
The first group out this morning has just completed their 18 holes for the day (Stuart Fraser writes). Royal Portrush’s head professional Gary McNeill may be slightly disappointed that he was no part of it this time as he memorably played in 2019 on the Saturday and Sunday as a marker alongside a competitor. This weekend an even number of players made the cut, meaning that McNeill’s services were not required.
The early pace setter is Canada’s Corey Conners, who made the cut on the number yesterday and has come out early today to shoot a five-under 66, moving him up into a tie for 10th as it stands. It was quite a contrast from his German partner Matthias Schmid, who was 13 shots worse off for a 79.
A rare day at Portrush for Parry
John Parry made his Open debut three years ago (Rick Broadbent writes). He might have felt that was a one-off at the time, but the Yorkshireman is having a rare old day at Royal Portrush. That hole in one on the 13th takes him to three under par, alongside Rory McIlroy who has yet to start. Bryson DeChambeau’s Open is proving bizarre. Since his opening round 78 he has had 12 birdies in 32 holes.
How about that? John Parry, take a bow. The Englishman has just aced the 192-yards par-three 13th. The celebrations are superb at the tee box with his playing partner Justin Leonard getting involved. That is the 26th hole in one in the last 40 years at the Open.
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Bryson briefly drops back to one under after he bogeys the 13th. He finds the bunker off the tee and two-putts to get home in four. He bounces straight back at the 14th though after a superb approach leaves him a 12-foot birdie putt. The American pours that in and he’s back to two under.
What a response from Fleetwood. After his bogey at the 1st he makes the green on the par-five 2nd in two and pours in a 35-foot putt for eagle. That moves him to two under and gets him straight back on track.
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Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceConners signs off with 42-foot putt
Corey Conners has just finished his round in serious style. He drains a 42-foot birdie putt to sign for a third-round 66 and gets into the clubhouse at four under. Good work for the Canadian and he has something to build from tomorrow.
Nobody making moves… yet
Bryson DeChambeu misses a four-foot birdie putt at the 12th. Really disappointing for the former US Open champion who can’t afford to let chances like that slip on two under.
More disappointment back the 1st too, for Tommy Fleetwood. He birdied this hole yesterday, but leaves himself too much to do from the greenside rough after a errant approach. Bogey five for Fleetwood who is back at evens.
Oh, and another birdie putt slides past the cup for Lowry at the 8th. He settles for par… again.
Tommy Fleetwood is under way and he stripes his tee shot down the middle of the fairway at the 1st. He is playing alongside Justin Thomas with the pair starting on one under. Both are very capable of shooting low scores here and need big performances if they are going to close the gap on the leaders. Fleetwood showed his class yesterday mind, signing for an impressive 68. More of the same please Tommy.
Fleetwood tees off at the 1st
RUSSELL CHEYNE/REUTERS
It’s quiet out there at the moment but I’ll quickly update you on some of the big names on the course. Lowry is still looking for his first birdie today; he had a look at one at the 8th but his putt slides just wide. Nothing seems to be going his way this week and he’s one over. Rahm has made two pars after his birdie at the 5th and sits at one over as well. Bryson remains at two under after four pars either side of the turn.
Two eye-catchers are Canada’s Corey Connors (-3 for the tournament) and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson (-4 for the tournament) who are four under and five under for the round respectively. They have made good progress up the leaderboard.
Monster putt from Svensson at the 6th
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Jon Rahm finally gets his first birdie of the day at the par-four 5th. After a tough start where nothing seems to be going his way, the two-time major winner takes an aggressive line off the tee and chips to within four feet. He confidently converts the birdie putt, rolling it in off the lip with perfect line and pace to move back to one over. The Spaniard looks to the sky and throws his arms aloft in a sarcastic celebration. Relief for the big man!
Luck not on Lowry’s side
Lowry comes so close to a birdie at the 4th, but his putt slips by on the right and he has to settle for par; things just won’t drop for the Irishman this week. Meanwhile, Jon Rahm bogeyed the 3rd after overhitting the green to fall to two over, and you can see the frustration beginning to creep in for the Spaniard.
It’s been a tough start for Lowry, left, and Rahm
GREIG COWIE/SHUTTERSTOCK
US Open champion JJ Spaun is off to a flier today with back-to-back birdies in his first two holes. He chips on to within two feet at the par-five 2nd and taps home for his birdie moving him to two under. Lovely stuff.
There’s another birdie for Bryson DeChambeau up ahead at the 7th too and he now sits two under and is going very well indeed.
Shane Lowry appears to have hit a perfect chip from the rough on the 2nd. It was beautifully weighted, landing just a foot from the pin with delicate backspin, but then the groans of the spectators kick in. In slow motion, the ball catches the slope and trickles all the way to the edge of the green, leaving him a nasty 21 yards from the pin. A certain par becomes a difficult bogey.
Shane Lowry does well to hold par after his errant tee shot at the 1st. His recovery from the rough is excellent and he two-putts from 37 feet to get home in four. His tee shot at the 2nd is much better: striped straight down the middle.
It’s a different story for Jon Rahm. His approach shot on the 1st is agonisingly close, but it catches a tricky slope and tumbles into the greenside bunker. He plays a fantastic shot from the sand to give himself a chance, but he can’t save his par. It’s a bogey five to start, leaving the Spaniard at one over.
Lowry tees off at the par-five 2nd
BRIAN LAWLESS/PA
Scheffler needs the Open to become complete player
The sun is out at Portrush (Rick Broadbent writes). Delayed driving in this morning due to cows on the road — it’s been a slow tournament so far all around — but it’s going to get fascinating today. For all Scheffler’s brilliance, to be regarded as a complete player you need to master the Open where craft and feel matter more than at other majors. Someone chasing will need to go low to rein him in, but there are lots of good players in position to do just that.
Well, it’s taken him two days, but Bryson DeChambeau is finally in the red. He has a 73-foot eagle putt at the 5th but sends it 12 feet long. He cleans up from there for birdie and the big man is two under through five today. Big score incoming?
Lowry and Rahm tee off at 1st
You’ve got to give it to Shane Lowry; he has taken that two-shot penalty like a champion. He must be reeling inside, but all he can do now is put it to the back of his mind and go and shoot one of the best rounds of his career to give himself a chance tomorrow.
We know he can do it here at Portrush, and he gets huge applause at the par-four 1st tee box. His playing partner today is Jon Rahm, who, like Lowry, had a frustrating round yesterday. The Spaniard couldn’t quite find his rhythm out there, and we are yet to see him at his best, but don’t rule out a big performance from the two-time major winner here on moving day.
I suspect there will be a large crowd following these Ryder Cup team-mates today.
Bad start… Lowry hits his driver left into the thick rough, and Rahm finds the fairway bunker to the right.
There’s plenty of support for Lowry at Portrush
STUART FRANKLIN/GETTY
Despite his shocking tee shot at the 1st, Bryson DeChambeau gets away with just a bogey, and the former US Open champion has put that mistake firmly in his rear-view mirror. He responds with back-to-back birdies and cleans up a 10-foot putt at the par-three 3rd to move to evens.
DeChambeau considers his options on the green at the 2nd
PETER BYRNE/PA
Can Fitzpatrick end England’s Open drought?
Matt Fitzpatrick starts today on nine under, one shot behind the leader Scottie Scheffler. The Yorkshireman is bidding to become the first Englishman to win the Open since Nick Faldo in 1992.
Tyrrell Hatton will also fancy his chances; he starts today on five under after shooting a brilliant second-round 69 yesterday.
Scheffler has never blown a 36-hole lead in a major
Not that anyone needs reminding of this, but the presence of Scottie Scheffler at the top of the leaderboard will be of great concern to the rest of the field. The world No1 has never lost a major after holding at least a share of the 36-hole lead.
Scheffler’s record when leading halfway at majors2022 Masters: Held a five-shot lead after 36 holes and went on to win by three strokes2024 Masters: Was the 36-hole leader (by one) and went on to win by four strokes2025 PGA Championship: Shared the halfway lead and ended up winning by a comfortable five-stroke marginScheffler: Lowry was put in a tough situation
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Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceDeChambeau out on the course
Which Bryson DeChambeau will we be getting today? The American has had an eventful week so far; his first-round 78 was his worst ever at the Open, but his second-round 65 was his best ever. Funny old game isn’t it? Anyway, he scraped through to the weekend just above the cut line and who knows how he will go today? If his tee shot at the 1st is anything to go by, it’s not going to be very good; he sprays it way left and out of bounds.
Brian Harman scored a fantastic second-round 65 yesterday and held the clubhouse lead for much of the afternoon on eight under until Matt Fitzpatrick finished. The American seems to play some of his best golf on links courses and won the Open at Royal Liverpool in 2023 by six strokes. Fun fact for you, he is one of three left-handed winners of the Open. The others? Bob Charles and Phil Mickelson.
Anyway, the 38-year-old is looking to join an elite group of Americans to win two Opens in a three-year span (or less). Walter Hagen, Bob Jones, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and of course Tiger Woods have all managed it. Harman starts two back today
Harman plays his approach to the green at the 18th at the end of his second round
STUART FRANKLIN/GETTY
The third round of the Open is under way and the first pairings are out on the course. Both starting on one over, Germany’s Matthias Schmid and Canada’s Corey Conners both find the fairway from the tee at the 1st. The conditions are perfect out there at the moment, so expect some of these early starters to climb the leaderboard this morning.
Missed yesterday’s action?
If you need to be caught up on all of yesterday’s action at Portrush make sure you have a read of Tom Kershaw’s superb report:
• Matt Fitzpatrick back at his best in time for Scottie Scheffler duel
The Englishman’s five-under-par second round has him one shot behind ‘Tiger-like’ American at Portrush, but Shane Lowry penalised after ball moves during practice swing
Lowry just makes cut after two-shot penalty
In case you missed this yesterday, there was late drama at Portrush after the end of the second round as Shane Lowry was given a two-shot penalty.
The Irishman won the only major of his career here back in 2019, and his hopes of repeating that feat take a significant dent as he now starts on evens having made it into the clubhouse on two under at the close of play.
Lowry was under investigation during his round yesterday after his ball appeared to move during a practice swing as he prepared to take his second shot at the par-five 12th from the rough. He made par on the hole, but his two-shot penalty turns that into a double bogey.
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Enable cookiesAllow cookies onceFull pairings and tee times
9.35 Matthias Schmid (Ger), Corey Conners (Can)
9.45 Sepp Straka (Aut), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn)
9.55 Takumi Kanaya (Jpn), Adrien Saddier (Fra)
10.05 Henrik Stenson (Swe), Sebastian Soderberg (Swe)
10.15 Thomas Detry (Bel), Jacob Skov Olesen (Den)
10.25 Bryson DeChambeau, Nathan Kimsey (Eng)
10.35 Maverick McNealy, Thriston Lawrence (RSA)
10.45 Justin Leonard, John Parry (Eng)
11.00 Andrew Novak, Sergio Garcia (Spa)
11.10 Jesper Svensson (Swe), Francesco Molinari (Ita)
11.20 Riki Kawamoto (Jpn), Wyndham Clark
11.30 Shane Lowry (Ire), Jon Rahm (Spa)
11.40 J.J. Spaun, Dustin Johnson
11.50 Phil Mickelson, Jhonattan Vegas (Ven)
12.00 Viktor Hovland (Nor), Jordan Spieth
12.15 Russell Henley, Antoine Rozner (Fra)
12.25 Romain Langasque (Fra), Daniel Berger
12.35 Sungjae Im (Kor), Dean Burmester (RSA)
12.45 Matt Wallace (Eng), Akshay Bhatia
12.55 Jason Kokrak, Lucas Glover
1.05 Tommy Fleetwood (Eng), Justin Thomas
1.15 Aaron Rai (Eng), Rickie Fowler
1.30 Marc Leishman (Aus), Oliver Lindell (Fin)
1.40 Ryggs Johnston, Xander Schauffele
1.50 Kristoffer Reitan (Nor), Matthew Jordan (Eng)
2.00 Ludvig Åberg (Swe), Justin Rose (Eng)
2.10 Harry Hall (Eng), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (RSA)
2.20 Sam Burns, Lee Westwood (Eng)
2.30 Jordan Smith (Eng), Rory McIlroy (Nir)
2.45 Keegan Bradley, Nicolai Hojgaard (Den)
2.55 Tony Finau, Chris Gotterup
3.05 Harris English, Robert MacIntyre (Sco)
3.15 Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Rasmus Hojgaard (Den)
3.25 Haotong Li (Chi), Brian Harman
3.35 Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Scottie Scheffler
Good morning and welcome to The Times’ coverage of the third round of the Open at Royal Portrush. What a day it was yesterday, as Scottie Scheffler charged through the field to lead after his superb round of 64, and what a round for the Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick too who will start one shot off the lead today. They are paired up together and set to tee off this afternoon, but in the meantime we will have our eyes on the chasing pack to see if anyone can catch the world No1. Rick Broadbent, Stuart Fraser and Tom Kershaw are in place to bring us updates from the Causeway Coast, so sit back and enjoy!