Shane Lowry (-7) rules with an iron hand the 152nd edition of the Open: he has signed a 69 on a second day without water, true, but windier than Thursday, with gusts from the south that exceeded forty kilometres per hour. Not even a sudden accident on the 11th, where he failed the exit to the right and immediately sent his ball to the bushes, has made him pale. Lowry is not easily intimidated; he took the double bogey in his stride and moved on, without hardly changing his expression. A Lowry so efficient in this British universe on all four sides, without there being a single shot the same or twin in the whole damn round. Survival terrain and conditions, agreed, but also suitable for the display of instinct and genius. Of the trade, above all of the trade.
Like the one also exhibited by Daniel Brown (-5), who many today, as soon as they set foot on Royal Troon and certified how complicated the scenario appeared, predicted (we predicted) a collapse by all means, considering his inexperience. It’s curious, because this Englishman came to hate the links after playing them so much as a young amateur, before turning professional. Brown said yesterday, after finishing almost in the dark the first round, that he didn’t take well to a good shot ending up in a bunker, or in a worse place, although he admitted that once he stopped playing the links regularly he has even come to miss them and has learned to value and enjoy them. His, of course, this week and with 36 holes already played, is one of the great feats of the week. It has been a real delight to see him draw those low shots, playing with the contours, as well as hitting with determination the club that touched from the tee. Brown has a great player inside, no doubt about it.
The cushion of Lowry, and also of Brown, is starting to be interesting, because next, with the second card already signed, you have to go to a distant accumulated of -2 to find the third classified, five strokes already from the lead. Let’s take a minute to look back, to the 2019 Open in Portrush, the one won by the Irishman. There, Shane reached the lead in the second round, although things were much tighter, and he pulled away from everyone after the third… Here, for now, what can be affirmed is that he is playing with the same apparent sufficiency and with the same mask of full concentration.
Billy Horschel (-2) is one of those who follow Lowry and Brown from afar. The Florida man took advantage of those couple of hours that the wind blew a little less at the start of the day to sign a resplendent 68, three less on the day. Another is Dean Burmester (-2), who also went out to play early and delivered a 69 (note: neither he nor Horschel have enjoyed benign conditions, let’s not get it wrong, it’s just that they were somewhat less harmful, the same as Jorge Campillo (+6), who has so far delivered the best result of the day, another 68, waiting to see if his magnificent reaction is enough to finally make the cut).
There is a third passenger in the group of pursuers and it is none other than the World Number One, Scottie Scheffler (-2), who has no intention of leaving the way free for anyone. Or, as you prefer, who is still willing to add his seventh victory of the year, the second in a Major. The Texan may not handle the craft of dodging in the British links as much, but as he has plenty of technical resources and his common sense on the course is overwhelming, he ends up being very capable of beating this formidable Royal Troon, once, twice and perhaps as many times as necessary.
In case there was any doubt after Thursday’s turmoil, both Cameron Smith (+12) and Wyndham Clark (+16) have confirmed their absence for the weekend. Also Tiger Woods (+14). They will not be the only illustrious ones to kiss the ground at the end of the day.
