The unstoppable Cameron Smith has taken control of the 150th milestone of the British Open with a second round for every century.
Key points:
- Smith shot a 64 without a bogey of eight below the pair to break Greg Norman’s 36-hole Open record.
- His Australian teammate Min Woo Lee (69) also had an intense second round and currently ranks 12th.
- American Tiger Woods was unable to keep pace with the group, finishing the second round nine above par to lose the cut halfway.
Smith recorded his name in the golf history books after recording a nerveless, bogey-free 64, eight below par to take a two-time lead Friday.
A total of 13 under-13s from the world number six broke the St Andrews Open’s 36-hole scoring record previously shared by Greg Norman, Nick Faldo and Louis Oosthuizen.
Smith, however, will feature a number of the sport’s top names, including Open favorite Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, world number one Scottie Scheffler and inspired compatriot Adam Scott, chasing him in a delightful shootout. weekend at the golf spiritual home.
But after further fueling the hopes of an Australian first winner of the famous Claret Jug from Norman to Royal St George’s in 1993, Smith said he had never felt more prepared to finally get his first big dodge. .
“It’s exciting to lead the Open after a couple of days,” he said.
“This experience tomorrow will be great. It looks like there are a lot of Australians in the crowd. He had a lot of support in the early days and I really can’t wait for the next couple.
“Obviously it’s a really good place to be. I feel like I’ve been a lot in this place for the last two years, and things haven’t gone my way yet.
“I have to have a lot of patience over the weekend. I think the golf course will be a lot harder and a lot faster, so be patient and make good putts.”
As he did all day Friday.
The crooked wizard mixed a majestic iron play with a series of masterful two long-range putts to amass six birds and a roaring eagle three at par-cin 14 where he rolled on a 64-foot crow to place the field. notice.
At the time, Smith threatened to match the lowest round in major men’s history: Branden Grace’s 62nd at the 2017 Royal Birkdale Open.
But not even missing the third 63 in St Andrews could erase the smile on Smith’s face as the 28-year-old ended his magical round with a two-shot buffer over the first-round American leader. Cameron Young (69). .
Loading
“That was pretty cool,” Smith said. “A lot of things went well, but doing it here was fantastic.”
The Open McIlroy favorite (68) is three back in a tie for third place with Viktor Hovland, who on the 15th got a spectacular eagle two to jump the standings with his round of 16.
Johnson (67) two-time major winner is fifth overall to nine minus, with Scheffler (68) and Englishman Tyrrell Hatton (66) once again behind in a tie in the sixth.
Scott was once again left with seven less after shooting the best open round of his career, a 65 full of birds and no bogey in breathless morning conditions.
In a star ranking, American trio Patrick Cantlay (67), Talor Gooch (69) and Sahith Theegala (68) share eighth place with Scott.
However, resurrected American Tiger Woods could not keep up with the group, and finished the second round with nine above par, leaving him tied for 148th place in the 156-person field. .
He left the course under a standing ovation perhaps for the last time in his career.
Loading
“It’s very emotional for me,” Woods told reporters.
“I have been selling here since 1995. I think the next one will come in 2030 and I don’t know if I will be able to play physically by then.
“My two days of play are that I made my share of mistakes,” he added. “Today we fought again to have the feeling of the greens.”
Completing a memorable day for Australian golf, Min Woo Lee (69) and Lucas Herbert (68) also remained in the fight at six less in a tie for 12th place with the English Open US champion Matthew Fitzpatrick (66).
But it’s Smith that everyone has to catch, as the Queenslander is trying to become the first Australian to claim the Claret Jug, the oldest and most prestigious golf trophy, since Norman lifted it for the second time 29 years ago.
Ominous for the group of pursuers, Smith’s 67-64 start improved Oosthuizen’s 65-67 opening at the 2010 Open, when the South African turned his total of 12 low to medium way into a memorable seven-shot win on Nelson Mandela’s 92nd birthday.
Faldo won by five after also starting 65-67 at St Andrews in 1990, with Norman consigned to a sixth-place finish after his first pair of 66 that year.
AAP