Cameron Smith shoots bogey-free 64 for 36-hole Open lead
Cameron Smith made the Old Course at St. Andrews look easy on Friday, shooting a bogey-free 8-under 64 for a two-stroke lead over Cameron Young.
The Australian golfer's combined score of 131 after rounds of 67 and 64 broke the previous record for the lowest 36-hole score in an Open Championship at St. Andrews.
First-round leader Young is two strokes back at 11-under, while Viktor Hovland and 2014 champion Rory McIlroy are three back at 10-under. Dustin Johnson rounds out the top five at 9-under.
| PLACE | PLAYER | ROUND 2 SCORE | TOTAL TO PAR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cameron Smith | 64 | -13 |
| 2 | Cameron Young | 69 | -11 |
| T3 | Rory McIlroy | 68 | -10 |
| T3 | Viktor Hovland | 66 | -10 |
| 5 | Dustin Johnson | 67 | -9 |
| T6 | Scottie Scheffler | 68 | -8 |
| T6 | Tyrrell Hatton | 66 | -8 |
| T8 | Talor Gooch | 69 | -7 |
| T8 | Adam Scott | 65 | -7 |
| T8 | Patrick Cantlay | 67 | -7 |
| T8 | Sahith Theegala | 68 | -7 |
McIlroy shot a 4-under 68 on Friday that included starting the back nine with three straight birdies. The Northern Irishman won the last two occasions where he was as low as 10-under after 36 holes at a major, according to Twenty First Group's Justin Ray.
The 33-year-old has gone without a major win for nearly eight years but has come close at each of the past three this season, including finishing runner-up to Scottie Scheffler at the Masters in April.
"I think in my game, I know I've got the game. That's all I need," McIlroy said following his round, per ASAP Sports. "I just need to go out and play my game and play my golf over the next two days, and that's all I can do."
McIlroy added that Smith will be tough to beat if he continues to play the way he has this week. Smith, this year's Players Champion, had the lowest round of the day Friday, matching the lowest round at this year's tournament.
Adam Scott had the next lowest round of the day with a 65, while Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick, and Sergio Garcia all recorded 66s.
A hole-out eagle at the par-4 15th highlighted Hovland's round and catapulted him into contention. His birdie at the last hole moved him into double digits and a tie with McIlroy for third.
Hovland, Young, and Smith are all searching for their maiden major championship win.
Tiger Woods, who has no shortage of major wins behind him, couldn't bounce back after a tough first round on Thursday, following it up with a 3-over 75 to miss the cut. It's just his third official event on the TOUR schedule after a February 2021 car accident left him seriously injured.
The three-time Open champion had an emotional walk up to the 18th green Friday as the gallery applauded the Hall of Famer.
"To me, it felt like this might have been my last British Open here at St. Andrews," Woods said, according to ASAP Sports. "The fans, the ovation, and the warmth, it was an unbelievable feeling."