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Paolo Uggetti, ESPN
HOYLAKE, England — When Brian Harman drained a 15-foot eagle putt on the 18th gap Friday afternoon to go to 10 beneath, he modified the calculus of this 12 months’s Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Membership. The weekend will now flip right into a field-wide chase of Harman, who’s 5 pictures forward of second place as he searches for his first main win.
Who, if anybody, can observe him down? Listed below are six gamers to observe for, beginning Saturday:
Because the wind picked up Friday and gamers struggled to remain close to the highest of the leaderboard, the Englishman battled within the late draw and made three birdies on the again 9 to complete proper the place he began: 5 beneath.
“It became a grind ultimately,” Fleetwood stated. “I truly assume for probably the most a part of the spherical I truly felt like I performed actually, rather well. I simply by no means bought any momentum constructed and did not gap any putts.”
Fleetwood is by far the favourite to catch Harman sooner or later this weekend and never simply because he is closest. He has been enjoying arguably among the greatest golf of his profession this 12 months (six top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour), has the assist of the house crowd and possibly will not should cope with the stress of holding on to a 54-hole lead.
Because the climate worsens beginning Saturday, Fleetwood — who stated he watched Harman’s 4 beneath spherical Friday morning — also needs to thrive given his expertise enjoying on this space and in the sort of climate. He’ll want to scrub up a few of his drives (56th within the area in strokes gained off the tee), but when he maintains his stable strategy recreation (twenty first) and scorching placing (fifth) he must be proper within the combine all over the ultimate day.
“We do not know what the circumstances are going to deliver,” Fleetwood stated. “You simply should hold enjoying till it is over and see the place you end.”
Like a shot popping out of a cannon, Lee is right here to contend at an enormous occasion once more. Lee began the day even par and was rapidly 2 over after bogeys on the third and 4th holes. The Australian then proceeded to battle again, carding a uncommon eagle on the par-5 fifth gap earlier than including a birdie on the ninth. Two extra birdies on the again 9 took Lee all the best way to three beneath and a tie for fourth place.
Earlier this 12 months, Lee was within the closing group of the Gamers Championship with Scottie Scheffler who was main by 2 strokes. It was a disappointing efficiency as Lee completed tied for sixth place, however the helpful expertise might pay dividends this weekend.
At TPC Sawgrass, Lee had success hitting irons off the tee given his ball pace and distance and if the climate will get worse come Saturday, his iron play ought to function effectively on this course as effectively. Lee might not have a lot main success, however he has the sport and the angle to make some noise this weekend.
Lee is not the one Australian within the combine. Day started Friday 1 over after a stable spherical of 72 and proceeded to pour in six birdies to leap up the leaderboard and tie for fourth place after two rounds.
Day, like Fleetwood, has been enjoying effectively this season, racking up seven top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour and his first win on tour since 2018. Day has been reborn this season however has struggled to translate his efficiency to majors. Day completed tied for thirty ninth at Augusta after which missed cuts at each the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open.
“It has been a bit bit disappointing,” Day stated of his efficiency in majors. “It has been a bit irritating for me. However I believe if I can get one right here this week, that may positively change it.”
So far as his likelihood is involved, Day stated the incoming climate ought to deliver again among the gamers on the prime of the board, which makes him consider the event is vast open not only for him however for lots extra gamers than simply these close to the highest.
“I believe I’ve bought a quantity in my head however I am not going to say it as a result of sometimes after I say it I am terribly fallacious,” Day stated. “I am simply going to form of hold pushing in direction of that quantity.”
Regardless of being 9 pictures again of Harman, there is not any counting out McIlroy. Particularly when it seems like he has been enjoying the primary two days together with his C-level recreation and remains to be gaining probably the most strokes off the tee of anybody within the area and is considered one of solely 23 gamers who’re beneath par.
Although his strategy pictures, placing and brief recreation across the inexperienced have been about common or barely worse, McIlroy’s 8-foot birdie putt on the 18th gap Friday merited a fist pump as he made his technique to the weekend with an opportunity and loads of confidence.
“I could be 9 again, however I do not assume there’s going to be a ton of gamers between me and the lead going into the weekend,” McIlroy stated. “I believe if I can get to 3-, 4-, 5-under par tomorrow going into Sunday, I am going to have a very good probability.”
Very like Day, McIlroy believes the more durable circumstances will enable the cream to rise to the highest, and the best way he has been flighting irons since he received the Scottish Open final week provides the four-time main winner loads of hope that he’ll be capable to chase Harman down.
“I’ve felt extra comfy within the wind over the previous few years, and I really feel like I can carry out in all kinds of circumstances,” McIlroy stated. “No matter it throws at us over the subsequent couple days, I really feel like I will be ready for.”
For a second on the entrance 9 Friday, it regarded like Spieth was going to go on a run to skyrocket to the highest of the board. However after carding three birdies on the entrance, Spieth gave all of them again on the again 9 to complete the place he began, 2 beneath and now 8 pictures off the lead.
It was a typical Spieth day, with its ups and downs and shares of untamed pictures in-between. The three-time main winner did not play himself out of it, however he will not have a lot margin for error and might want to rein in his driver, which hasn’t been very correct this week (63rd within the area) to actually enter competition.
“If it’ll be a grind, I am actually up for the problem,” Spieth stated.
In contrast to Day and McIlroy, Spieth does not appear to consider Harman will come again right down to earth as a lot, which suggests a participant within the prime 20 might want to go low on each days. After Friday, Spieth wasn’t feeling nice about his probabilities.
“I felt like I performed in addition to or higher than yesterday,” stated Spieth, who was dissatisfied together with his spherical. “Wanted to actually submit a rating. I perceive so much can occur at an Open, however 8 pictures is a number of pictures to identify a participant who’s enjoying rather well.”
Harman’s fellow Georgia alum ripped via the again 9 at Hoylake within the windy afternoon circumstances with six birdies and just one bogey to complete at 4 beneath and in sole place of third place heading into Saturday.
Straka is coming off a current win on the John Deere Basic, and a top-seven end on the PGA Championship. On the U.S. Open, although, he missed the reduce. Nonetheless, Straka has been in a position to keep within the combine regardless of dropping pictures to the sphere across the inexperienced. His strategy recreation, driving and placing are all within the prime 15 in strokes gained in these classes, and his birdie chip-in on 18 Thursday could be the shot of the event.
Sepp Straka with an exceptional chip over the bunker for birdie on the 18th! 🔥
📺: @USAnetwork | #TheOpen pic.twitter.com/tAaQuq53cD
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) July 20, 2023
“My recreation is coming into form properly,” Straka stated Friday. “I have been hitting the ball fairly effectively after which beginning a few weeks in the past the putter got here round, too, and hopefully I can hold that momentum going.”
