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HOYLAKE, England — Rory McIlroy holed an 8-foot birdie at the 18th to finish with a 1-under 70 in the second round of the British Open at Royal Liverpool.
McIlroy, who shot even-par 71 on Thursday, had three birdies and two bogeys — both on the back nine. He was sitting nine shots behind clubhouse leader Brian Harman, who earlier shot a 6-under 65.
Jon Rahm, playing alongside McIlroy, missed a short putt for par at the par-5 18th to finish at 1-under 70. He was 2-over par for the tournament, at the cut line.
The other player in the group was Justin Rose, who shot 3-over 74 and was at 6 over for the tournament.
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WHAT TO KNOW
— A day of surprises at British Open.
— South African amateur Christo Lamprecht is a big man with a big game
— Rasmus and Nicolai first set of twins playing the British Open
— New hole on an old links getting all the attention at Royal Liverpool
— Niemann among LIV players wondering if this major is their last
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HARMAN EAGLES 18TH, LEADS BY 5
Brian Harman rolled in a 14-foot putt for eagle at the par-5 18th hole to shoot 6-under 65 and establish a five-stroke lead at the British Open.
He is 10-under par for the tournament. His 36-hole total of 132 was also posted by the last two winners of the Open at Hoylake — Tiger Woods in 2006 and Rory McIlroy in 2014.
The 36-year-old Harman, who is ranked No. 26, has only made one bogey in his first two rounds at Hoylake.
The left-hander was the 54-hole leader at the U.S. Open in 2017. He finished in second place and four back from Brooks Koepka for his best finish at a major.
He was tied for sixth at last year’s British Open at St. Andrews.
HARMAN PLAYS PAR GOLF TO MAINTAIN LEAD
A run of pars by Brian Harman is maintaining the American player’s three-shot lead at the British Open.
After making four straight birdies from No. 2, Harman has parred every hole up to No. 15 and is likely to be setting a target for the afternoon starters.
Harman is on 8-under par. The two players on 5 under, local hope Tommy Fleetwood and South African amateur Christo Lamprecht, have yet to start their second rounds.
Rory McIlroy is 1 under through 11 holes, and is on the same score for the tournament.
Dustin Johnson was 10 over for his round heading down the last hole and was set to miss the weekend. He is 13-over par for the tournament.
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PROTESTERS DISRUPT OPEN AT 17TH
Three environmental activists have briefly interrupted play at the British Open.
The Just Stop Oil protesters went onto the 17th hole, with one throwing what appeared to be orange paint to the side of the green. Another was led away from the green by American player Billy Horschel.
The three protesters were escorted away by police.
Just Stop Oil is an organization that wants the British government to stop new oil, gas and coal projects. It has interrupted a slew of major sporting events in Britain in recent months, including Wimbledon, an Ashes cricket test and the world snooker championship.
Ahead of the Open, R&A chief executive Martin Slumbers said there were ”significant security procedures in place” to deal with protesters and that players have been advised to not get involved.
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TRAVIS SMYTH ACES 17TH HOLE
Australian Travis Smyth has aced the 17th hole at the British Open.
Smyth hit a high 9-iron tee shot that bounced twice before going in the picturesque hole that played 132 yards long on Friday.
There was a huge roar from the crowd, and Smyth raised his right arm to celebrate as his caddie and playing partners came over to congratulate him. It was the first hole-in-one at Hoylake this week.
The 17th was redesigned to add drama to the Open at Royal Liverpool this year, challenging players with an elevated green well protected by steep slopes and deep bunkers. High winds coming from the Irish Sea made it difficult for players to find the putting surface.
The 310th-ranked Smyth was 2-over par for the round before making the ace. He finished his round at 1-over 72 and was at 8 over for the tournament, unlikely to make the cut.
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R&A MAKES CHANGES TO BUNKERS
The R&A has made adjustments to the bunkers at Royal Liverpool for the second round of the British Open to prevent so many balls running up against the face.
The tournament organizer said the bunkers have been raked ”slightly differently” to ensure there is more of a slope down to the center of them.
”We routinely rake bunkers flat at most Open venues,” the R&A said in a statement, ”but decided this adjustment was appropriate in light of the dried conditions which arose yesterday.”
Some players reportedly complained that the flatness of the bunkers meant balls were rolling too close to the face during the first round. That could potentially lead to injuries when players swing their club into bunker walls.
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BRIAN HARMAN IS OFF TO THE RACES
Brian Harman is quickly setting the new target at the British Open.
The American opened with a 67, and then ran off three straight birdies starting on the second hole. That puts Harman at 7-under par. Harman has never won a major, though he once had the 54-hole lead at the U.S. Open at Erin Hills in 2017.
Adrian Otaegui of Spain made all pars on the front nine and was at 4 under among those playing in the chilly breeze and occasional light rain.
Rory McIlroy was just starting his second round after opening with a 71.
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RAIN, WIND GREET DAY TWO AT HOYLAKE
Goodbye, sun. Hello, traditional British Open weather.
Thick clouds, wind and a few rain drops greeted the second round at Royal Liverpool on Friday. The demanding test remains the same.
Emiliano Grillo, Tommy Fleetwood and South African amateur Christo Lamprecht shared the lead at 5-under 66. Grillo was the only one playing in the morning.
The wind is typical, and so is the rain this year. The test after one day is the bunkers. They must be avoided at all costs.
Rory McIlroy also plays in the morning. He took two shots to get out of a bunker on the 18th and was thrilled to escape with par. He starts five shots out of the lead in his quest to end nine years without a major.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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