The Open Championship: Scottie Scheffler trails Shane Lowry by five as two Kiwis hang on

Daniel Hillier tees off on the 17th hole on day two of The 152nd Open Championship at Royal Troon. Photo / Getty Images

The spotlight at The Open Championship is firmly on Irishman Shane Lowry who has surged into a commanding position at Royal Troon but it was a tough day for the Kiwis.

Following the second round, the 2019 champion stands two shots clear of the field, after a steady two-under-par 69 brought his total to seven-under for the tournament.

Lowry’s round was not without its trials. A mid-round double bogey seemed to spell trouble, but he rallied spectacularly, capped by a 6-metre birdie putt on the 18th to secure his lead.

“It was pretty good; it was tough out there,” said Lowry, reflecting on the challenging conditions. “The wind wasn’t quite as strong as yesterday, but it was still tricky. The 11th was a bit of a disaster – but I handled that well and managed to finish nicely.”

Among the other contenders, American Scottie Scheffler is making his presence felt, just five shots off the lead at two-under, alongside fellow American Billy Horschel (68) and South African Dean Burmester (69). Despite a bogey on the final hole, Scheffler’s performance remains strong.

Meanwhile, Kiwi golfers Ryan Fox and Daniel Hillier are managing to stay in contention, while Kazuma Kobori and Michael Hendry have unfortunately missed the cut. It was the first time in 15 years that four Kiwis competed in The Open, after Michael Campbell, David Smail, Josh Geary and Mark Brown at Turnberry in 2009.

Fox, currently tied for 38th at four-over, had a mixed second round with a triple bogey on the 11th but scored crucial birdies on the second and seventh holes. Hillier has shown a notable improvement, climbing 42 places to tie for 54th at five-over, with an eagle on the 16th providing a highlight.

Kobori ended his campaign at seven-over, while Hendry fell further behind at 10-over. The unforgiving layout of Royal Troon has also seen notable exits, with Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy struggling, finishing at 14-over and 11-over respectively.

In a dramatic turn, Japan’s Aguri Iwasaki had a torrid second round, carding a 20-over-par 91, including back-to-back nines on the 13th and 14th holes.

The day’s surprise came with Yorkshireman Dan Brown, who, after his stunning performance on Friday, managed to hold steady with a 72.

“I’m not going to start getting ahead of myself,” Brown said. “There’s still 36 holes left. I might have a good round tomorrow – and then I might have a stinky round on Sunday. You just don’t know.”

Luke Kirkness is the Sports Planning Editor for the NZ Herald. He’s an award-winning journalist who also covered consumer affairs for the Herald and served as an assistant news director.