Just Stop Oil protested again at the Open Championship
American Brian Harman responded to missing the cut in the Masters in April by returning to his farm in Georgia and killing a pig and a turkey. Three months later, the left-hander carved out a commanding five-shot lead over home favourite Tommy Fleetwood at the halfway stage of the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.
Harman carded four birdies in a row on the front nine and holed from 15 feet for an eagle on the 18th to complete a flawless second round of 65 and post a 10-under-par halfway total of 132. That matched those recorded at Hoylake by Rory McIlroy in 2014 and Tiger Woods in 2006, although both men were 12-under on their way to lifting the Claret Jug as the course was a par-72 at the time.
It also made Harman the first player to lead the Open by five shots after 36 holes since Louis Oosthuizen in 2010, the South African going on to win by seven at St Andrews.
Follow live coverage from the third round of the 151st Open Championship at Hoylake below:
The Open Championship 2023 – live updates from Hoylake
- The 151st Open Championship continues at Royal Liverpool
- Brian Harman leads by five at -10 after extraordinary bogey-free round of 65
- -10: Harman
- -6: Rahm
- -5: Fleetwood, Hojgaard
- -4: Straka, Day
- -3: McIlroy, MW Lee, Sharma, Young, Bland, Kim, Rozner
- -2: Spieth, Otaegui, Hovland and more
Show latest update
The Open 2023: Record-breaking birdie at the last for Rahm
Simply incredible. The Spaniard was given benign conditions and he has ruthlessly taken apart Hoylake this morning. Another birdie at the last means it’s a bogey-free, eight-under-par round of 63 for the world number three. That is the lowest score in the Open at Hoylake.
He’s catapulted up 37 places as things stands and is now in solo second at -6.
Ben Fleming22 July 2023 15:30
The Open 2023: Opening-hole birdie for Day
Day -4 (1), Sharma -3 (1)
Both these two are wild off the tee, Day way right, Sharma way left. They both make it on the green alright, though, and it’s the Aussie who makes the most of it, making birdie on the first on back-to-back days.
Ben Fleming22 July 2023 15:26
The Open 2023: Hojgaard continues his charge
Anything Jon Rahm can do, Nicolai Hojgaard can do just as well, it would appear. The Dane has made an electric start to his round today as he rolls in an 11-footer for his fourth birdie of the day through only seven holes.
Remarkable start for the youngster who is up alongside Rahm and Tommy Fleetwood in second.
Ben Fleming22 July 2023 15:18
The Open 2023: Birdie for Homa
McIlroy -3 (4), Homa -1 (4)
Another one bites the dust. We are very early in this but I’m not sure how many 11-foot putts Rory can afford to miss if he’s looking to surge up the leaderboard. Not his greatest stroke and he remains at -3.
Max Homa makes the most of his superb approach shot and gets himself back to -1 after a bogey on the second hole.
Ben Fleming22 July 2023 15:16
The Open 2023: Rahm pars 17
The Spaniard’s birdie charge takes a brief pause as he’s unable to convert an outside look at birdie on the 17th. Up the last he heads and a par would see him set the record for the lowest round at Hoylake in an Open championship.
No doubt he’ll be eyeing up more than a par given how he’s playing.
Ben Fleming22 July 2023 15:10
The Open 2023: Two birdies in three for McIlroy
McIlroy -3 (3), Homa E (3)
A third divine approach shot in as many holes sets up yet another birdie opportunity. This is the closest of the lot and he makes no mistake this time. -3 for the tournament now and he is in the mood.
Homa makes a four to remain at even par.
Ben Fleming22 July 2023 15:05
The Open 2023: Hojgaard up into fourth
The Dane took care of the par-five fifth to move himself up to -4 for the tournament. Who knows if Brian Harman will come back to the field but a high finish at the Open will do his Ryder Cup ambitions a world of good if nothing else.
Ben Fleming22 July 2023 15:03
The Open 2023: Rahm on a rampage
And it just keeps getting better. An hour or so ago, I said he’d be looking at -3 or -4 to end the day. Well, now the Spaniard is seven under par for his round and -5 for the tournament after he rolls in a 35-footer for birdie on the 16th.
Not too much celebration, he realises there are more birdies out there on the final two holes.
Ben Fleming22 July 2023 15:00
The Open 2023: Opening-hole birdie for Young
Young -3 (1), Spieth -2 (1)
Playing with Jordan Spieth, last year’s runner-up makes the most of a ridiculously long tee shot at the first by rolling in a birdie effort to get to up to -3.
Ben Fleming22 July 2023 14:58
The Open 2023: Missed opportunity for McIlroy
McIlroy -2 (2), Homa E (2)
If he’s going to make the necessary jump up the leaderboard, Rory is going to need to make almost everything he looks at on the greens. A monster drive a dialled wedge gives him another great look at birdie from about nine feet…but it drifts past!
Those have to go, one thinks, if he’s to get near to Harman today.
Homa goes long out of the rough with his second and the American can’t find a two-putt par and drops a shot early on.
Ben Fleming22 July 2023 14:52