The Open latest: Shane Lowry leads but big-name casualties dominate halfway storyline

At the halfway stage in the 152nd edition and tenth staging at this venue, Irishman Shane Lowry sits on seven-under-par, leading by two shots from English duo Justin Rose and Dan Brown. With the next closest challengers three shots back, it’s a promising picture in terms of one of that trio to go on and prevent a first clean sweep of the majors by Americans since 1982, though world No 1 Scottie Scheffler is lurking ominously.

The man who has looked unbeatable at times this season – a string of big wins included a second Masters title triumph in April – is in a group on two under along with fellow American Billy Horschel and South African Dean Burmester. PGA champion Xander Schauffele, former world No 1 Jason Day, past FedEx Cup winner Patrick Cantlay and Canadian Corey Conners are also in red figures heading into the weekend, but, for others who had been expected to be contenders, the race has already been run before the weekend action gets under way.

US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau missed the cut, as did Pinehurst runner up Rory McIlroy, meaning it is now a full ten years since his last major victory. Other big-name casualties included world No 4 Ludvig Aberg, current FedEx Cup champion Viktor Hovland, Ryder Cup star Tommy Fleetwood and 2014 Troon title winner Henrik Stenson.

Lowry, meanwhile, is the man to catch and, as he showed when putting himself in the same position, albeit sharing the lead on that occasion, as he went on to get his hands on the Claret Jug at Royal Portrush in 2019, the 37-year-old is a proven front-runner.

“I wouldn't say I'm a good runner,” quipped Lowry on his second visit of the week to the media centre. “I don't know,” he added. “I put myself there in a few big tournaments and I've managed to knock them off. So I've done it a few times. It's hard to win tournaments. We'll see. I'll tell you Sunday evening.”

One behind overnight leader Brown after an opening 66, Lowry had moved two shots ahead before running up a double-bogey 6 at the 11th, where a nearby photographer got a fly in the ear after causing him to deposit his approach deep into a gorse bush. “I got a little bit distracted on the right just as I was over the shot and I kind of lost a bit of train of thought,” he admitted. Asked if that was an attempt at a joke due to the Glasgow to Ayr railway line being close to where he’d hit the shot, he replied: “No. There was a cameraman there, and, as he was walking up, I asked him to stop or move back, and he just kind of stayed there. As it was over, he put his camera up. I kind of saw it out of the corner of my eye.”

It put fire in his belly for the tough closing stretch, which he duly covered in two under thanks to birdies at the 16th and 18th. “I know I can get a bit down on myself and a bit hot headed at times, but I really feel like that's why I've had the career I've had,” said the leader after signing for a 69.

Brown, who is making his major debut after coming through one of the Final Qualifiers, backed up a splendid opening effort by adding a solid 72 that contained two birdies and three bogeys. “I know I’m not going to start getting ahead of myself and thinking, ‘oh my God, I’m leading the Open or I’m second in the Open or whatever’,” said the world No 272 of his surprise lofty position on the giant iconic leaderboard. “There’s still 36 holes left. I might have a good round tomorrow, and then I might have a stinky round on Sunday. You just don’t know.”

Rose, who won the 2014 Scottish Open in testing conditions at Royal Aberdeen, has dropped just one shot in the first 36 holes here. “It was a perfect mix of playing well and fighting well,” he said of a joint-best-of-the-day 68, having also had to come through a two-round qualifier just over a fortnight ago to be involved in the season’s final major for the 21st time. I had to up and down the ball a few more times today, had to hole those horrible five, six-footers where you're over the ball and you're sort of being buffeted by the wind, and that really kind of can make you feel off kilter to sort of make a solid stroke. You're fighting through every moment like that on the course, and I think that was what I did a good job of today as well as playing well.”

Scheffler overcame his caddie Teddy Scott fighting a bout of food poisoning out on the course to sign for a second consecutive 70. “We didn't know if he was going to be able to go this morning, but he’s a fighter,” said Scheffler. “He did a good job today and battled through it.”

The battle, though, was lost by lots of others. Japanese player Aguri Iwasaki ran up back-to-back 9s at the 13th and 14th before signing off with a 7 to limp home in 52 and sign for a 91.

After running up a triple-bogey 8 at the fourth, McIlroy looked as though he’d had the stuffing knocked out of him and two birdies in the final five holes were too little, too late. “I didn't adapt well at all to that left-to-right wind yesterday on the back nine, and then this afternoon going out in that gusty wind on the front, I felt pretty uncomfortable over a few shots,” admitted the world No 2.