The whirling blades of the modern offshore energy turbines provided their own indicator of how much the wind was a factor in the second round of the 151st Open at Hoylake, and although left-hander Brian Harman – for one – seemed immune from the force of nature, its constant presence ensured that the famous old links provided a stern and fair examination.
Harman’s round was at odds to everyone else. A bogey-free 65 for a midway total of 10-under-par 132 – which featured just 23 putts, some outrageously long, and a chip-in par save – propelled the American to the top of the leaderboard in his quest for a breakthrough Major win.
His only other experience of being at the business part of such proceedings coming at the 2017 US Open where he finished tied-second behind Brooks Koepka.
Harman reached the midway point five strokes clear of Tommy Fleetwood, with Sepp Straka a shot further adrift. It is the biggest leading margin at the 36-holes stage of any Open held at the famed links, with Fred Daly (1947) and Rory McIlroy (2014) each holding four-stroke leads at the same point.
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For most, though, the wind – modest as it was but constant – proved a nuisance pure and simple. It led to search missions in the rough and among the gorse bushes, as balls, if not purely struck, took on a mind of their own.
Among those to suffer were two-time Major champion and former world number one Justin Thomas.
“I’m just making so many bonehead mistakes and crazy things happening,” he said, citing his frustration with the wind after missing the cut.
Thomas wasn’t alone in failing to survive into the weekend, with many big name victims. Justin Rose too departed. Also, Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson; Collin Morikawa and Shane Lowry.
Séamus Power too, as the Waterford man’s woes included an out-of-bounds on eight, a penalty drop out of a bush on 10 and among those to suffer the vagaries of the bunkers in needing two to escape on the 13th as he ran up a 75 for four-over-par 146, one shot outside the cut mark.
Lowry’s frustration was evident in wrapping a wedge around him as his fate became evident, a double-bogey six on the 14th and failing to birdie the Par 5 15th (where he three-putted) proving critical on a homeward run and breaking the club on the 16th in despair as he signed for a 77 for 149.
Yet, Pádraig Harrington showed all of his old fortitude and character. Having made the cut at the US PGA and the US Open, the 51-year-old Dubliner dug deep down the stretch – holing a long putt from off the green on the 16th for birdie and making a great par save on the Par 3 17th – to forge out a 71 to get in on the mark at three-over 145.
Having got to the cut mark playing the last hole, the arrival of rain nearly cost him.
“I hit a great tee shot down 18, just stood there on [the fairway] and it just started raining. I’m on a little downslope and by the time I hit it I had a complete water ball. I hit it right in the middle of the club face and the thing squirted out low right. I was sure it was out of bounds,” he said afterwards.
But it had stayed just inside the boundary stakes and he pitched to 25 feet, leaving his first putt a little long for his liking but ultimately rolling in the par putt to ensure his survival into the weekend.
What’s he looking for over the final 36-holes?
“More of the same, tee to green golf and just get on a run with the putter and hole a few putts. I’m not hitting bad putts, and maybe don’t have perfect reads. I’m not quite sure, but they’re just not dropping the right way at the right time. I’m just trying to be patient and wait for a good run to happen.”
The man out in front, Harman, showed his grittiness in keeping to his task. He got some breaks, hitting flagsticks and chipping in and piling up yardages of made putts, but it was with a sense that he was entitled to do all of those things in opening up a five-stroke lead over his nearest pursuer Tommy Fleetwood.
Harman’s round was sugarcoated by a brilliant finish: a drive-5-iron-12 footer for eagle on the 18th hole enabled him to open up more daylight than he could have imagined. And he hopes to learn from past lessons.
“I think when I held the 54-hole lead at the U.S. Open, I just probably thought about it too much. Just didn’t focus on getting sleep and eating right. So that would be my focus this weekend,” said Harman.
