Irishman Shane Lowry and American JB Holmes share the lead at the halfway point in the British Open Championship on Saturday (NZ time).
The pair moved clear at the top on eight under par, one shot clear of Englishmen Tommy Fleetwood and Lee Westwood, while world number one Brooks Koepka and fellow American Jordan Spieth lurking at five-under and three shots off the pace.
The day wasn't so good for Kiwi Ryan Fox, who blew out for a four-over 75 to slip from a share of third, to a tie for 59th, nine shots off the pace.
Fox's round consisted of four bogies and a double bogey, a day after he shot an Open record 29 on the back nine to card a three-under par 68.
Despite the poor round, Fox survived the cut, unlike Masters champion Tiger Woods and hometown hero Rory McIlroy.
Woods followed his first-round 78 with a battling 70 to miss the cut, while McIlroy's first-round 79 left him seven shots shy of the cut at one over, and he almost achieved his feat but failed to pick up birdie on the final hole.
Overnight leader Holmes was first into the clubhouse at eight under after a 68, with five birdies and two bogeys.
But it was the performance of Lowry that had the crowd in raptures, the Irishman birdieing four of the first five holes.
At one stage he was 10-under-par, but despite a couple of dropped shots, including a bogey at the last, he was delighted with his second consecutive round of 67.
Fleetwood and Westwood both shot 67.
Fleetwood, chasing his first major win, birdied the last hole and said minus seven was right where he wanted to be going into the weekend.
"I hit a few ropey shots, but overall I played a lot of great shots," Fleetwood said.
"To be up there after two rounds at the Open, it's great."
Woods, who shot seven-over-par in round one, clawed back three shots but bogeyed the last two to miss his chance of making the weekend.
"I'm going to have my hot weeks," said Woods, who struggled with his back.
"I'm going to be there in contention with a chance to win, and I will win tournaments.
"But there are times when I'm just not going to be there, and that wasn't the case 20-some-odd years ago. I had a different body, and I was able to be a little bit more consistent."
Reuters
