Golf

Marcel Siem takes advantage of easier conditions early on day two of 152nd Open

Troon was proving less of a test than Thursday due to gentler winds.

Germany’s Marcel Siem took advantage of tame early conditions to card three birdies in his first four holes in the second round of the Open at Royal Troon
Germany’s Marcel Siem took advantage of tame early conditions to card three birdies in his first four holes in the second round of the Open at Royal Troon (Jane Barlow/PA)
By Carl Markham, PA

Easier conditions greeted the early starters on day two of the 152nd Open at Royal Troon, with German Marcel Siem taking advantage.

The 44-year-old, playing in his seventh championship, holed a 13-foot putt for birdie at the first and then added a second from inside that distance at the third.

Troon was proving less of a test than Thursday due to gentler winds and Siem added his third birdie of the day at the 599-yard fourth.

That got Siem back to one under par, which was only five behind surprise first-round leader Daniel Brown, who was hoping for a bigger following than he got in the penultimate group out on the first day, with few spectators present at 9.33pm to see him sink a birdie on the last for a bogey-free 65.

Brown was out at 11.04am, although that meant his lead was likely to come under pressure from 2019 champion Shane Lowry, who was teeing off more than an hour before him just a shot behind after his 66.

World number two Rory McIlroy had a much longer wait – out at 3.10pm – before he could rectify the damage of an opening seven-over 78 and try to salvage his already-slim hopes of ending a decade-long major drought.

Rory McIlroy has plenty of work to do on day two of The Open just to make the cut
Rory McIlroy has plenty of work to do on day two of The Open just to make the cut (Jane Barlow/PA)

Other big names hoping to get their tournament back on track after struggling in Thursday’s windier conditions included two-time major winner John Rahm (two over), world number seven Viktor Hovland (four over), England’s Tommy Fleetwood and US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau (both five over) and 15-time major winner Tiger Woods (eight over), out at 9.25am.

Two-time Open champion Ernie Els withdrew before his 7.19am tee time, the 54-year-old being one of a number of previous winners who struggled after shooting an 11-over 82.

Other players to lift the Claret Jug who found life on the links tough on the first day included John Daly and Todd Hamilton (both 11 over), Justin Leonard and Cameron Smith (both nine over) and Henrik Stenson (six over).