2022 British Open golf today: round 2 summary | Cam Smith leader, Cameron Young 2nd, Rory McIlroy 3rd

That's a wrap for Round 2

From all of us here at AS USA, We hope you've enjoyed our live text coverage as much as we've enjoyed bringing it to you. It was a day of excellent golf from the top end of the leader board. Cameron Smith was nothing short of stellar, while Cameron Young kept on pushing him.

Then of course we had the epic fight back from Rory McIlroy who definitely put on a show, but so too did Norway's Viktor Hovland. Round 3 awaits us and with it, what's likely to be an epic finale to the British Open!

A little humor never hurt

Not everyone enjoys the links...

Interested in a bet?

As we head into the final 36 holes, here's what the bookies have to say:

7/4 Cameron Smith
7/2 Rory McIlroy
8/1 Cameron Young
10/1 Viktor Hovland
11/1 Dustin Johnson
12/1 Scottie Scheffler
25/1 Tyrrell Hatton.

Rory speaks on Tiger

Having shared the course with Tiger Woods for more than a decade, perhaps there aren't many better placed to give an opinion of the legend that another iconic player, Rory McIlroy. Here's what the Northern Irishman had to say about Woods' failure to make the cut:

"I’ve gotten pretty close to Tiger over these last few years. And especially after the accident, and I think we’ve all sort of rallied around him down there in Jupiter [Florida]. And we all want to see him do well."

"He was all our hero growing up, even though I’m maybe a touch older than some of the other guys. But we want to see him do well. We want to see him still out there competing. And this week was obviously a tough week for him. But we’re all behind him. We’re all pulling for him. And hopefully he’s back here in the next four, five years and playing in another Open Championship on The Old Course."

Viktor Hovland has a say

After a spectacular late surge, Viktor Hovland made his way back up the leader board to finish as joint holder of 3rd alongside Rory McIlroy on Friday. Despite that, the Norwegian isn't getting carried away:

I’m hitting a lot of great shots. I think you’ve just got to be aware that links golf isn’t always fair. I hit a good drive on 12 yesterday, for example, that was stymied up in the bunker. You’re kind of trying to hit it in that spot. Any day it might bounce over the bunker and go to the side, and you might make birdie.

You’ve just got to hit the shots that you need to hit, whether you get a bad bounce or not. That’s going to happen, and it’s all about how you get out of that situation and move on.

Made it!

Given how prestigious The Open is, one can imagine that just making the cut at St. Andrews is quite a big deal.

If there was any doubt, all you'd have to do is take a look at Tony Finau who looked absolutely thrilled to hole a 12-foot birdie putt at the 18th to just barely qualify for the weekend on an even par. Incidentally, his playing partner Will Zalatoris also birdied to complete a 67 and finish at -4.

Cameron Young weighs in

Though he's right behind leader Cameron Smith, Yound will feel slightly agrieved that he couldn't replicated his 64 of yesterday. On the other hand, 69 isn't exactly sloppy. With that, he'll be right there battling it out with Smith when play tees off tomorrow. Here's what he had to say about the day's play:

"I didn’t putt as well today. I think for the most part I managed it pretty well. I made a couple of greedy mistakes on 2 and on 15 were my only bogeys. Those I think were both very avoidable. I didn’t quite pick the right shots. One of them I just chunked, and one of them I picked the wrong shot, which I think I could have avoided."

"My mom and dad are here. So it’s always fun having them out. I mean, I think just being the home of golf and being The Open Championship is plenty to make something special. Just having been around golf my whole life it’s something I watched as a kid, something I grew up wanting to play in at a place that is special for a lot of reasons."

McIlroy gives his thoughts

After some gutsy golf, the former PGA Player of the Year finished the day in 3rd, which he's jointly occupying with Norway's Viktor Hovland. Here's what he had to say:

"I think it was good. It’s the first time we’ve seen the golf course in a different wind this week. It switched on us very early on.

I thought I adapted pretty well, played well coming in and stuck to my game plan well. I’m sort of walking off thinking I could have been a couple better but I’m in a great position going into the weekend. It’s nice to be in the mix."

The fist says it all

A look at Rory's final birdie of the day. An excellent fight from the Northern Irishman.

The Halfway Leaderboard

With play coming to an end, here's a look at where things stand after round 2. There are of course a few groups still in action, but nobody on the course is better than -3. The cut is set to be even par.

-13: Smith
-11: Young
-10: McIlroy, Hovland
-9: D Johnson
-8: Scheffler, Hatton
-7 Gooch, Scott, Cantlay, Theegala

Hovland is back in the race

With a birdie to close the day, Viktor Hovland is now well and truly back in contention.

After a run across the final holes that saw him go from birdie, to eagle, to par, then par again and finally another birdie, his 6-under 66 takes him to 10-under and means he will take to the links with his his good friend Rory McIlroy tomorrow.

What a day for Cameron Smith

Speaking on his performance Smith had this to say:

"Obviously got off to a really hot start. And it’s very easy to just keep going, getting on the front foot and maybe trying to hit some shots that are a little bit too aggressive. But just stayed patient and holed some really nice putts.

I think being off late again tomorrow afternoon it’s obviously going to be a bit firmer, more like the first day, I would say. So I would say it’s going to be pretty brutal out there.

I think there’s going to be a few more gnarly pins, and I think being smart out there is definitely going to be the key to staying at the top of the leaderboard.

I think it’s just exciting to be leading The Open after a couple of days. I think that experience tomorrow is going to be really cool. There’s a lot of Aussies in the crowd, it seems like. Had a lot of support the first couple of days and really can’t wait for the next couple."

Hovland isn't letting up

As if on queue, Viktor Hovland rolls in a nine-foot par putt at 17. A birdie at the last will see him tie McIlroy at -10, meaning the two Ryder Cup boys will be side by side tomorrow.

The Norwegian fires off at the 18 to the hollow in front of the green. A decent drive, but since the wind has changed, nobody has had any success in getting to the top tier.

That being said, he's still in with a decent chance at a birdie.

Close but no cigar

After examining the lay of the land in front of him at the 18th, McIlroy goes with the putter. His shot rolls to spot about 12 feet away. It's going to be close but not quite enough. That's a 4-under 68, which means he now sits alone in third and is three off the lead.

A Good Day's Work

As he walks up the 18th fairway with his hands in his pockets, the crowd is chanting.

You can tell Rory McIlroy is pleased with himself. At 4-under for the round, he's now got a very real chance of snatching another birdie, which in turn would see him move up to just one shot behind leader Cameron Smith.

Needless to say, the stands are still packed and there’s a huge roar as he strides up.

Hovland is at it again

After a rather aggressive line at 17, Viktor Hovland reaps his rewards and with that insures that he'll be playing from his next from the middle of the fairway.

With that, we now focus on the 18th where McIlroy awaits the clearing of the green. Rory has a go and sees his ball settle in the ‘Valley of Sin’ to the front, left of the green.

Birdie for McIlroy!

Rory McIlroy does it again at 17! The crowd didn't know what to do as McIlroy drained his 20 footer for a ‘3’ on the course’s hardest hole.

The Northern Irishman knows all to well as he clenches his fist, that a birdie on the 18th would put him into the final group on Saturday.

The Norwegian is putting on a show

As the title says, 'Magic.'

Victor Hovland is on a mission

Before a stroke was played today, Hovland had never been in the top 15 after 36 holes of golf at a major. What's now certain, is that barring a catastrophe, the dubious record will come to an end today. 

True, he had some difficulty at the 16th after his approach found sand, but out he came to within three feet so it should be a fair bet that he can sink it to stay at nine under.

Meanwhile, At 17, McIlroy’s approach is magnificent. He shouts for it to sit and it would appear that the ball has listened, coming to a standstill at about 20 feet away on the upper side of the green.

Not ideal for McIllroy

Though he avoids the hotel to the right, McIlroy's drive off the 17th tee sees the ball bounce into light rough down the left where it’s sitting up.

As for his playing partners, Xander Schauffele is just barely still inf contention at -5 - his hopes improved by a brilliant up and down from a pot bunker at 16, while defending champion Collin Morikawa will need to play the final two holes in two under to make the cut.

McIlroy steadies

Though there was some concern as to how he'd manage, Rory effortlessly knocks in his par putt at 16. A gentle, confident stroke on that drops while the crowd chants, “Rory! Rory!” At four back, can he he cut Smith's lead to three with a par-birdie finish?

Should things stay this way, then we can expect to see Rory will be playing alongside Dustin Johnson in the penultimate group on Saturday.

The Norwegian has something to say

That's an eagle for Viktor Hovland!

The Norwegian shows how it's done with an angled shot from the left rough at the par-4 15th, which nestles itself right on the green, takes a couple of mini hops and then as if on command drops into the hole for 2!

With that, Hovland is now right back in contention at nine under and just four off the lead.

Rory is back at it!

Rory McIlroy is definitely not about throwing in the towel. After firing off an enormous drive from the 16th tee, he's attacked the fifth hardest hole which has an average of 4.25

The 17th is once again the hardest at 4.38 so McIlroy will likely be feeling pleased with himself as he goes go par-par at this pair of tricky trappy par 4s.

LIV's poster boy didn't make it either

Tiger Woods wasn't the only big name who failed to make the cut, but also Phil Mickelson who finished 5 over par.

A contest of Camerons

With McIlroy's bogey, it's now all but certain that the last group out tomorrow will be Cameron Smith and Cameron Young which makes it all the more interesting, if not funny.

McIlroy is out of the rough

With a flier McIlroy is out of the rough, but he's going to have to rely on his strong lag putting once again, as he's now about 100 feet away.

It's definitely not for lack of trying as he strikes the ball well, but after ending about four feet out, he strokes it just to the right. A bogey and back to nine under.

Looking down the board, Will Zalatoris, a two-time runner-up in the majors this year, just hauled himself back up. After looking like he was on his way out with a slip to +2 off an opening bogey, he's managed to improve across the last 12 holes and is now tied for 24th.

Rory Stumbles

A slight hiccup for Rory McIlroy in front of the 14th green as he fails to get up from what has to be considered a tough position. With that he'll have to settle for a par as he stays three behind the leader, Cameron Smith

At 15 McIlroy sent his ball into the rough, but after it was located by a volunteer he can only hope for a manageable lie.

Meanwhile, Lee Westwood has made his way back into the top 20 with a rare birdie at the 17th, the Englishman impressively rolled one up and down from off the green to go to five under.

In case you were confused

The Leaderboard right now

So close but so far. Perhaps that's what Rory McIlroy is thinking, as he sits just short of the par-five 14th with his approach. None the less here is the leader board as things stand right now:

-13: Smith (F)
-11: Young (F)
-10: McIlroy (13)
-9: Johnson (F)
-8: Scheffler (F), Hatton (F)

Seamus Power believes in Cameron Smith

The question on everyone's mind at this point is whether or not Cameron Smith can convert the win this weekend? His playing partner through the first two rounds, Ireland’s Seamus Power, believes he can. Here's what he had to say:

"I could see him winning, very much so. That’s the most impressive two rounds of putting I’ve seen. I don’t know what his footage would have been today. It was amazing. He’s as good with a wedge and a putter as I’ve seen. Like, he was very impressive."

The American eyes 2nd

Cameron Young has signed for a 69. Though he lost his pre-round lead, a birdie at the 18th would do the trick, taking him to within two of two of Cameron Smith, while simultaneously moving him clear of Rory McIlroy by 1.

David Carey is in the big leagues now

The Irishman  is quite simply playing the golf of his life at the moment.Though he once carded a 57 on the third tier Alps Tour, he's often struggled to establish himself when playing against the elite players of the tour.

That, however, is clearly in the past as his 67 today has left him five under for the week and promises a career-changing moment this weekend. Interestingly, Carey disclosed to the media that he's not at all fazed by big crowds, quite the opposite in fact.

"I’m a complete show off. The more people that’s there, the better. It’s great. I’ve always loved having people around, the more people the better."

Apologies to Mr. McIlroy

Maybe we shouldn't be too quick to make any declarations about Cameron Smith.

After another lovely birdie from Rory McIlroy- his third in a row - it's now clear that he's not taking this lying dow. His eagle putt was nicely paced and with that he now has a tap-in at the 12th.

McIlroy is now four under for the round and joins Cameron Young at 10 under for the week in second. It should be said that the man from Northern Ireland showed excellent concentration after a long wait due to playing partner Xander Schauffele being tangled up in gorse.

Worth another mention

Though you may already be aware, we think it might be worth another mention given how many memorable moments the Tiger has given us over the years.

All eyes on Smith

At this point, it seems to be all but certain that Cameron Smith will be the halfway leader. Barring an unreal performance from Rory McIlroy for the final six holes, that's the way this cookie is going to crumble.

It's interesting to note the Aussie’s record in such a position. To date, he’s had three solo 36-hole advantages and he won the first two, including this year’s Tournament of Champions. As for the third, that one didn't go so well as he  most he carded weekend rounds of 72-77 to finish tied 13th in June’s Memorial Tournament.

Give this guy a round of applause!

We said it before, but we'll say it again: Cameron Smith is not playing around.

Current Leaderboard

Smith holds after completing his bogey-free second lap, while Viktor Hovland forced his way into contention and Rory McIlroy has found the putting surface of the par-four 12th in one blow.

Truth be told he was a hair away from finding the right level of the green, too, but it’s the perfect opportunity to eat into Smith’s advantage before the back nine gets a little tricky. Here's how things stand:

-13: Smith (F)
-11: Young (16)
-9: Johnson (F), McIlroy (11)
-8: Scheffler (F), Hatton (F), Hovland (10)

McIlroy is in the house

That's back-to-back birdies for Rory McIlroy. After another beautiful tee shot, this time at the par-three 11th, he takes advantage with an audacious birdie putt from 20 feet. That brings him up to nine under and tied for third with Dustin Johnson!

Young closes cap! Smith is killing it!

Cam Smith, seriously? 13-under, six birdies and an eagle today, leading the championhsip by two! 

Cam Young is up to 11 under, just two behind Smith.

I love that this is a game of Camerons!

Cam Smith just keeps moving up!

Cam Smith has struck out on his own. The Aussie just EAGLED the par-five 14th after a 60-feet putt.

Rory McIlroy was just three shots off the lead - but now he's extended to five. 

Oh, Mcllroy is now seven under par.

Cameron Smith keeps moving up!

Cam Smith has struck out on his own. The Aussie just EAGLED the par-five 14th after a 60-feet putt.

Rory McIlroy was just three shots off the lead - but now he's extended to five. 

Oh, Mcllroy is now seven under par.

McIlroy on the move with birdie at seven

McIlroy moves to eight under and three off the lead as he goes for a birdie at seven. 

His approach onto the green from 100 yards was brilliant, and his putt from six feet comfortably made it home.

The two Camerons are still playing their own league; Young is in second place on 10 under, closing in to within one of Smith with a third birdie of the round at nine. 

The Open 2022 cut predicted to be level par

At the moment the cut is expected to be level par. John Daly flirting with danger at one over on the 13th, as is Zach Johnson at two over on the 11th. Current champion Colin Morikawa is at level par on the 6th. 

Missing out on the weekend action are Padraig Harrington (+3), Phil Mickelson (+4), Paul Lawrie (+7), Mark Calcavecchia (+21!) and of course Tiger Woods at +9.

Cameron Smith, people

The two Camerons are having a league of their own.

A par three - two-putting from 81 feet keeps Cam Smith at 11 under after 11 holes. Smith keeps it safe with the scorecard even when he doesn't hole monster putts.

Cam Young birdies the 9th.

Treegala is a great face to see at St. Andrews

Rory Mcllroy, who's got quite some fans at St. Andrews, remains six under par after failing to convert birdiefrom 18 feet.

Sahith Treegala, on the other hand, has been having a great first few rounds.

The rare non-White player on the PGA Tour, as well as the only Indian American to achieve success in sports, backs up yesterday's 69 with a 68. With an eagle at the par-49th he joins Talor Gooch, Adam Scott and Patrick Cantlay on -7.

The 24-year-old was born in Orange County, California and earned his PGA Tour card after recording consecutive top-10 finishes in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. 

Woods high on emotions; not planning on retiring

"The warmth and ovation, nods, respect, understanding" for Tiger Woods and his legacy "got to him," as it did to- dare I say- to all of us.

The 15-time champion made it clear after crossing that bridge that he intends on playing more championships.  

Woods shot a 3-over-75 in the second round of the Open Championship which just makes one wonder whether we will ever see him again at this course, or any other. 

New leader alert!

Cameron Smith is unbelievable today. He started with three birdies, added another at seven and now just picked up a shot on the par-three eighth too. He is now one shot ahead of Young and DJ, on 10 under. 

The Australian is on his own at the summit. 

All the love for Tiger

Very special moments as Tiger came up the 18th...

Cameron fest at the top

Cameron Smith and Cameron Young have started the marvellously and are now tied at nine under with Dustin Johnson, who is in the clubhouse. 

Hang on, Cameron Smith has just picked up another birdie and is now the outright leader on 10 under!

Tiger crosses the Swilken Bridge

What a photo! Tiger Woods crossing the Swilken Bridge as he comes up the 18th for probably the last time in an Open at St. Andrews. 

Tiger pars the 18th

Tiger Woods just misses his putt for a birdie at the 18th, and then taps in for par. The fans give him the very warmest of ovations as the legendary American, three-time winner of the Open, twice here, finishes his participation in the 2022 Open Championship.

As Woods crossed the Swilken Bridge alone - a lovely gesture from his playing partners - McIlroy, playing the first, gave Tiger a tip of his cap, another beautiful touch. 

Tiger Woods playing the 18th

All eyes at St. Andrews, and around the golfing world, are watching Tiger as he goes down the 18th. Tees off at the 18th and he looks happy with it as he twirls the club in his hands. His playing partners stand aside to let him stroll over the Swilken Bridge on his own with the crowd giving him a tremendous ovation. This is really quite a moment. Tiger is in tears, he's thanking the crowd, arms aloft. 

Woods has a shot for an eagle at the 18th, and he hits a marvellous effort which comes up just five foot short, despite the crowd roaring it on, to leave him with a putt for a birdie that will see him finish on eight under.  

Defending champion tees off

Collin Morikawa, the defending champion, is on level par and he's just teed off, getting it away handsomely. Rory McIlroy goes after him, landing it right in the middle of the fairway.

Harrington to miss the cut

Padraig Harrington, who won the Open in 2007 and 2008, has had a shocking day after starting brightly with two birdies... he's rattled off SEVEN bogeys to slump to three over and with just the 18th to play he's going to miss the projected cut of par.

Emotional end to Tiger's time at St Andrews

Tiger is about to step onto the 18th tee. There isn't a spare space anywhere around the entire hole from tee to green as the legend is about to play what will probably be his final hole in an Open at St. Andrews.  

American dominance at the top of the leaderboard

There's a lot of Stars and Stripes at the top of the leaderboard right now.

Dustin Johnson leads on nine under, with Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay and Cameron Young on eight under and Sahith Theegala on seven under. So that's six out of the top nine. 

Tyrell Hatton on eight under in second place

The Englishman scored 66 today and is sitting second behind leader Dustin Johnson on nine under. 

Hatton had this to say: 

"Although I’ve won around here in the past, the golf course is very different to how we play in October. So also the pin positions are a lot tighter.

So we’ll see. If I play good golf, then, sure, we’ll have a chance. But it’s definitely not a time to get ahead of ourselves.

The greens are pretty mental. They can put the pins in some crazy spots and that slows down scoring in itself. Although you’ve got shorter shots, it’s still really hard to hit it close.”

Tiger double bogey

Double bogey at the 16th for Tiger, he's now nine over and as looked likely will not be here for the weekend. 

The crowds are flooding into the grandstands around the 18th to see him finish what will probably be his final round at the home of golf.

Scottie Scheffler finished on eight under

Here's what Scheffler had to say after his round of four under today, to take him to eight under for the championship so far:

Happy with his play?

I played pretty solid again today. Few putts looked like they're going in that didn't but at the end of the day four under is never a bad score in a major. I'm just out here trying to do my best. And the I'm up at the top right now we'll see. Conditions are a bit easier than they were yesterday and so you on might be pretty decent ways behind the lead going into tomorrow. But at the end of the day, I think you know if I play really good golf over the weekend, I'll have a chance.

Pin positions and conditions

Well, when we got started, it was windy and raining. So it was pretty challenging in our first six or seven holes but after that the wind died down and touch and there was obviously a bit softer from the rain and so the course was gettable in spots. But you know, the pins were still tucked very very severely.

Faster play today

Yeah, it was a long day in the afternoon [yesterday]. Just with how firm everything got, the balls were just going to crazy places and you know you had to really think your way around. And so I think, especially when the holes go back and forth, you don't want to get in anybody's way, but it's just one of those deals. It's part of it.

Plans for later today

I'll go practice a little bit. Just kind of hang out. I may turn on the coverage a bit in the afternoon but I'll just go home and get some rest.

Players getting into double figures later?

Yeah, yeah, I think so. For sure. I mean, if it stays like it is now - sunny and there's not much wind and the golf course is really soft. So yeah, I'm sure you're gonna see some guys put up some numbers this afternoon. 

Pure drama out on the course

There's tension in the golf, but this was really dramatic stuff.

US Open champion making his presence

Matt Fitzpatrick is loving the weather. And by that I mean he's shining at St. Andrews with four birdies on the front nine - and only one bogey that was followed by another birdie on the 12th, as the clear clouds continue to show off and the wind comes to a stop in Scotland. 

The US champion moves to four-under-par overall.

Meanwhile, his partner Tiger Woods is still at seven-over-par for the tournament.

Amateur Barclay Brown out on the course

Amateur Barclay Brown shot four under yesterday to be high up the leaderboard, and he's at the ninth right now, at level par for the day (bogeys at 2 and 4, birdies at 5 and 8).

Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods at the 15th has a 30ft putt for a birdie, but it just misses, so he stays at 7 over. 

Jon Rahm birdies the 14th to move to four under.

Mcllroy getting ready to tee off as Young gets back to 7-

Cameron Young, the overnight leader, has just dropped his first shot with a bogey at the second.

Yesterday the American didn't miss a green in regulation but as soon as he hits his second shot short, he can't get close with the chip.

Young is back to seven-under. No birdies

What a difference 24 hours can make in golf. 

Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy is teeing off in an hour and he is getting his eye in onthe range. Mcllroy, who was had lovely moments yesterday, will start at six-under, three off today's leader Dustin Johnson.

Bogey at the second for the overnight leader Cameron Young, so he's back on seven under now.

Daly's 'magic' trousers

After yesterday's skull-themed trousers, John Daly has gone for some promotional Hooters gear today - he signed a deal with the restaurant chain back in April this year. 

As campaigners said when Hooters announced plans to launch a restaurant in Manchester in May: "Hooters is a sexist restaurant, which uses the objectification of women as its selling point, from its name, to the uniform, to the way it treats the female staff. It is an outdated brand, viewing women as objects to sell food and drink is no longer acceptable in 2022."

Michael Conroy, of campaign group Men At Work, said: “I have spent years working with teenage lads around sexism and respectful behaviour and what it means to be a man. We have an obligation to speak out when things like this come up. This place makes the girls that work there seem like they are part of the menu. This is something that has no place in 2022. It seems like something from the 1970’s, a real throwback to an era we thought had gone."

Smith continues his birdie start

Cam Smith is on a roll with a third consecutive birdie! 

Just one shot off the lead, Smith is up to eight-under.

Who is Cameron Smith?

Currently ranked sixth in the world, the 28-year-old Australian is already looking to make his way up the rankings at the Open Championship. 

Born in Brisbane, Queensland, Smith was introduced to golf by his father who was a scratch golfer (in other words a golfer with a zero handicap) at the Wantima Golf Club in Brisbane.

In 2004, one of the top golf coaches in Australia, Grant Field, took Cameron Smith under his wing.

A golfing paradise

The conditions are absolutely perfect right now, the temperature is perfect and there is just the lightest of breezes along with glorious sunshine beaming down from a great vault of blue. Ah, this little pocket of Fife is truly a slice of heaven when the weather gods smile down upon the hallowed turf of the Old Course.

Rory McIlroy will be absolutely desperate to get out and start making hay in these low-scoring conditions - he tees off just before 3 p.m. in just over an hour. He's on six under overnight.

British Open

Tiger Woods: “I didn’t feel like I hit it that bad”

On another note, as things get quieter around Tiger Woods, who is visibly frustrated by his performance, let's take a look at what he told reporters following day 1 at the Open Championship. 

Camerons having fun and games at St. Andrews

Cameron Smith moves to seven-under-par with TWO BIRDIES in two holes. Look at the Australian prove to be thebest putter at the championship. 

Smith joins a three-way tie for second on eight-under-par.

Cameron Young, on the other hand, is no longer at the top of the leaderboard.  The American will hope he can follow up his opening eighth-under-par 64 to make it back to the summit. 

Cam Smith seeking a haircut!

Cameron Smith notches a birdie to make seven-under-par. Great start for the Australian who has won five times on the PGA Tour before.

Rumor is going around that the 28-year-old from Brisbane will get a haircut if he wins the Open Championship. And this start tells us Smith is looking for a nice hair cut.  

On the other hand, Koepka has had the worst possible start, misjudging his approach and ending up by the water.

DJ takes the lead!

Dustin Johnson takes the lead as his lengthy birdie putt takes him to nine-under. What a great way to round off his second round, with a 67.

Cameron Young, who tees off in less than 20 minutes, is on -8.

Adam Scott, on the other hand, also birdies the last for a 65 and goes seven-under for the tournament.

Spain making its presence at The Open

Jon Rahm is out in 32 after bubbling up another birdie at the ninth. An incredible drive for the Spaniard that hits the edge of the green for an eagle putt, narrowly missed.  The 27-year-old from Barrika is three-under for the tournament.

Rahm is playing with the Texas-born Jordan Spieth, who has just gone to five-under by notching a three at the same hole. 

Ian Poulter has got another monstrous par. 

Surprises at the 150th Open Championship

Dustin Johnson is having a great day. He reads his long putt beautifully on the 16th and holes it for a three, putting him level with Cameron Young on eight-under. 

Scheffler, Gooch and Hatton one shot back.

Tiger Woods might not be making the cut alive today, sadly. He's down at seven-over and is visibly frustrated at himself. 

Meanwhile, Keith Mitchell eagles the ninth to move to +1.

Sergio Garcia, which we haven't talked about yet today, has been actually looking very good. He's fired in a six-under-par 66 including five birdies and an eagle at the 9th.

Fifth birdie of the day for Hatton; DJ kickin it

Tyrrell Hatton is the leading British contender at St. Andrews, joining three Americans in a share of second after his fifth birdie of the day. Hatton sits -7.

Dustin Johnson goes to eight-under-par after a beautifully executed shot! 

Cuurent standing at 'The Open'

Lovely performances on day two at the British Open gets Scheffler, Johnson and Gooch all in contention, aside from Adam Scott and his flurry of birdies. 

1. Cameron Young -8 

2. Talor Gooch -7

     Dustin Johnson -7

     Scottie Scheffler -7

5. Si Woo Kim -6

     Adam Scott -6

     Tyrrell Hatton -6

     Rory Mcllroy -6 

Rory McIlroy will tee off just before 3pm and his hero, Tiger Woods, will be just finishing in what might be his last professional championship ever... emotional. 

Summary at the Open Championship

Matt Fitzpatrick is back to two-under-par and Woods remains seven-over as he mops up for par. 

The ball striking is much better for Woods than it was yesterday, at least.

Scottie Scheffler doesn't quite make it on his putt for birdie at the 17th. The low-key world no. 1 is not joining Cameron Young at the top of the leaderboard on eight under.

Incredible finish for Kim Si-Woo

Si Woo Kim very nearly just chipped in on the 18th for an eagle, but a birdie for Si-Woo signs for his second straight 69, leaving him -6 for the week. He's he's two shots off the front.

Gooch is six-under-par making his presence at the Open Championship. 

It is magic from Scheffler

Scheffler up to seven-under-par. The world no. 1 is making a charge at the Open Championship! He's level-headed, concentrated and proving his place in the world. 

The 26-year-old is in second place. 

In an interview yesterday at St. Andrews, the young American told reporters that he didn't feel the pressure of a world champion because "you guys," don't make "treat me or see me that way" per say. And that is certainly true, Scheffler is slowly and sleekily proving he is one of the best.  

Meanwhile, magnificent shot from Gooch, proving the creativity on this course is unmatched. 

Si Woo Kim drops a shot to -5.

Tiger Woods frustrated

An errant tee shot on the sixth that finds the bunker gets the American in obvious discomfort and frustration. You could see his ankle isn't moving well at all.  

A birdie at 3 looked like great news for Woods but he bogeyed the 4th and three-putts at the 5th to make par.

Truly not an easy sight knowing Tiger's injury issues.

Fitzpatrick is looking great today, on the other hand. He has moved to -2 after a couple of birdies earlier. 

Tyler Hatton on a roll!

Hatton gets to six-under with a beauty putt on the 10th. The Englishman from High Wycombe is on a roll at St. Andrews

Scheffler is proving consistency

Woods is even par for the day. Plenty of work to do for the American. 

Scottie Scheffler, on the other hand, does have another birdie at six-under. 

Tyler Hatton on a roll

Luck's not happening with Woods. He has it about 8-feet for eagle, but he's also playing the par 5 fifth... 

Tyrell Hatton gets to six-under with a beautiful putt on the 10th. 

Scott is hot

Adam Scott has had 5 birdies on his 11 holes today.

Need I say more? 

Let it go fans

You would have never seen the Tiger Woods drop so many shots before. But the guy isn't having it easy this year; he's recovering from his leg surgery, not playing almost any golf in the past few months, withdrawing from the US Open must've affected his mental state knowing he's not the same persistent guy physically anymore.

It's tough, and fans are not making it any easier. 

"Get in the hole Tiger!" said some random guy upon Woods' tee shot at the previous hole, to which another man whispered "shut up". Who knows if this was actually a whisper... 

Back to where he started

Gorgeous touch from Jordan Spieth that set up his birdie on the 2nd, taking him to -2.

Meanwhile, fans are whispering (not really) as they try to send messages to Tiger Woods ahead of his play. 

Another Birdie for Matt Fitzpatrick. Second birdie of the day to get him to two-under-par. Playing some of his best stuff today.

Woods is getting ready for the next... and drops a shot. Back to six-over

That smile, though

The nerdy birdie for Tiger Woods got a lot of fans hopping, including this writer. Just listen to the excitement at St. Andrews as the American starts looking more like himself. 

IN IT GOES!

That's the Tiger Woods we know. A birdie for Woods on the third. He's baaack 

He's currently five-over-par and looks less rusty than yesterday. So does the weather. Skies are clearing up and Woods' fans are lighting up too.

Matt Fitzpatrick leaves his birdie putt just short.

World No. 1 and and Hatton birdying seventh

World No 1 Scottie Scheffler, who still doesn't feel like people treat him as he's number one, is on the move, and so is Tyrell Hatton, both birdying the seventh.

Hatton and Scheffler are both four-under, and that's back-to-back birdies for Hatton.

Woods is so close but not quite

Tiger Woods has another birdie opportunity on the second, but his 40-footer just misses left. Come on Tiger, you need those today!

Matt Fitzpatrick gets his birdie on the second though.

Jon Rahm on the move, Harrington -5

A birdie at the 1st takes the Spaniard back to level par - Jordan Spieth and Harold Varner III both take par.

Solid start for Woods

Tiger Woods looks ready to have a better Day 2 at the Open Championship. A solid approach sets up a par - although he knows he probably needs a 66 or better to make the cut today, as he said following yesterday's play.

Fitzpatrick and Homa also have pars.

Kim up to joint third

Korea's Si Woo Kim has birdied at the 10th, and moves to -5. That takes him joint third, together with Robert Dinwiddie and Cameron Smith.

Almost time for Tiger

Tiger Woods is about to tee off for his second round, as the 15-time major winner looks to recover from his disappointing opening day's play. He's joined by Matt Fitzpatrick and Max Homa.

American Scottie Scheffler in action during round 2 at the Old Course on Friday. The world No. 1 is currently at -3, five shots off the lead.

(Photo: Phil Noble/Reuters)

"A cocktail for some really good scoring"

Former European Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley says we can expect some low scores in St Andrews today.

GOLF

The history of St. Andrews Old Course. How old is it? When was the first Open played there?

If you're in the mood to drink in the history of the Old Course, my colleague Dane Arlauckas is on hand, flagon at the ready. He's put together a look back over the long tradition of golf in St Andrews.

Check it out

Gooch climbs leaderboard

Talor Gooch, who teed off at 2:30am ET together with Wyndham Clark and Shawn Norris, has made a good start to day 2. He's picked up two birdies to move to -6 and go joint-second alongside Rory McIlory.

Play up and running on Old Course

As you will have surmised from those tee times, play is already underway in St Andrews today. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who finished day 1 at three under par, has teed off in his group, which also features Joaquin Niemann and Tyler Hatton.

Today's round 2 tee times (ET)

1:35am: Mark Calcavecchia (US), Ryan Fox (NZ), Jediah Morgan (Aus)

1:46am: Sam Bairstow (Eng), Christiaan Bezuidenhout (SA), Bernd Wiesberger (Aut)

1:57am: Marcus Armitage (Eng), Haotong Li (Chn), Adrian Meronk (Pol)

2:08am: Thriston Lawrence (SA), Alex Wrigley (Eng), Fabrizio Zanotti (Pry)

2:19am: Sam Horsfield (Eng), Si Woo Kim (Kor), Aaron Wise (US)

2:30am: Wyndham Clark (US), Talor Gooch (US), Shaun Norris (SA)

2:41am: Russell Henley (US), Aldrich Potgieter (SA), Henrik Stenson (Swe)

2:52am: Stewart Cink (US), Sergio Garcia (Spa), Aaron Jarvis (Cay)

3:03am: Paul Casey (Eng), Sung Jae Im (Kor), Gary Woodland (US)

3:14am: Dustin Johnson (US), Marc Leishman (Aus), Adam Scott (Aus)

3:25am: Tyrrell Hatton (Eng), Joaquin Niemann (Chi), Scottie Scheffler (US)

3:36am: Richard Bland (Eng), Filippo Celli (Ita), Darren Clarke (NI)

3:47am: Kazuki Higa (Jpn), Kevin Na (US), Erik van Rooyen (SA)

4:03am: David Duval (US), Justin Harding (SA), Jordan Smith (Eng)

4:14am: Shugo Imahira (Jpn), David Law (Sco), Jason Scrivener (Aus)

4:25am: Abraham Ancer (Mex), Emiliano Grillo (Arg), Yuto Katsuragawa (Jpn)

4:36am: Harris English (US), Keita Nakajima (Jpn), Louis Oosthuizen (SA)

4:47am: Padraig Harrington (Ire), Keith Mitchell (US), Thomas Pieters (Bel)

4:58am: Matthew Fitzpatrick (Eng), Max Homa (US), Tiger Woods (US)

5:09am: Jon Rahm (Spa), Jordan Spieth (US), Harold Varner III (US)

5:20am: Sam Burns (US), Patrick Cantlay (US), Guillermo Mito Pereira (Chi)

5:31am: Keegan Bradley (US), Sebastian Munoz (Col), Sahith Theegala (US)

5:42am: Laurie Canter (Eng), Matthew Griffin (Aus), Dimitrios Papadatos (Aus)

5:53am: David Carey (ire), John Catlin (USA), Jamie Rutherford (Eng)

6:04am: Min-Gyu Cho (Kor), Robert Dinwiddie (Eng), Jorge Fernandez Valdes (Arg)

6:15am: Jack Floydd (Eng), Ronan Mullarney (Ire), Lars van Meijel (Ned)

6:36am: Paul Lawrie (Sco), Min-Woo Lee (Aus), Webb Simpson (US)

6:47am: Barclay Brown (Eng), Ben Campbell (NZ), Sadom Kaewkanjana (Tha)

6:58am: Dean Burmester (SA), Chan Kim (US), Brandon Wu (US)

7:09am: Guido Migliozzi (Ita), Ian Poulter (Eng), Jamie Donaldson (Wal)

7:20am: Ashley Chesters (Eng), Garrick Higgo (SA), Min-Kyu Kim (Kor)

7:31am: Lucas Herbert (Aus), Phil Mickelson (US), Kurt Kitayama (US)

7:42am: Tom Hoge (US), Joo-Hyung Kim (Kor), Patrick Reed (US)

7:53am: John Daly (US), Bryson DeChambeau (US), Cameron Tringale (US)

8:04am: Brooks Koepka (US), Seamus Power (Ire), Cameron Smith (Aus)

8:15am: Tommy Fleetwood (US), Francesco Molinari (Ita), Justin Rose (Eng)

8:26am: Kyoung-Hoon Lee (Kor), Robert MacIntyre (Sco), Cameron Young (US)

8:37am: Corey Conners (Can), Billy Horschel (US), Zach Johnson (US)

8:48am: Brian Harman (US), Pablo Larrazabal (Spa), Danny Willett (Eng)

9:04am: Stephen Dodd (Wal), JT Poston (US), Lee Westwood (Eng)

9:15am: Justin de Los Santos (US), Luke List (US), Sepp Straka (Aut)

9:26am: Adria Arnaus (Spa), Ernie Els (SA), Brad Kennedy (Aus)

9:37am: Mackenzie Hughes (Can), Victor Perez (Fra), Scott Vincent (Zim)

9:48am: Nicolai Hoejgaard (Den), Si-Hwan Kim (US), Jason Kokrak (US)

9:59am: Rory McIlroy (NI), Collin Morikawa (US), Xander Schauffele (US)

10:10am: Viktor Hovland (Nor), Shane Lowry (Ire), Justin Thomas (US)

10:21am: Tony Finau (US), Hideki Matsuyama (Jpn), Will Zalatoris (US)

10:32am: Takumi Kanaya (Jpn), Chris Kirk (US), Kevin Kisner (US)

10:43am: Dylan Frittelli (SA), Matthew Jordan (Eng), Trey Mullinax (US)

10:54am: Zander Lombard (SA), John Parry (Eng), Anthony Quayle (Aus)

11:05am: Thomas Detry (Bel), Richard Mansell (Eng), Marco Penge (Eng)

11:16am: Alexander Bjoerk (Swe), Oliver Farr (Wal), Matt Ford (Eng)

Tiger toils

Three-time Open champion Tiger Woods endured a tough day on the Old Course on Thursday, slumping to six over after labouring to a first-round 78. 

“It looks like I’m going to have to shoot 66 tomorrow to have a chance,” Woods told reporters. “Obviously it has been done, guys did it today and that’s my responsibility tomorrow, to go ahead and do it. I need to do it.”

British Open: day 2 live online

Good morning and welcome to AS USA's live coverage of the 2022 British Open in St Andrews, where America's Cameron Young was the overnight leader after shooting a first-round 64 on his Old Course debut to go eight under. Britain's Rory McIlroy ended day 1 in second place, at six under.