Zürcher Nachrichten - Imperious Scheffler surges into British Open halfway lead

EUR -
AED 4.311548
AFN 80.784762
ALL 97.583691
AMD 448.464702
ANG 2.100834
AOA 1076.417548
ARS 1473.790488
AUD 1.789706
AWG 2.11586
AZN 1.99486
BAM 1.954339
BBD 2.361126
BDT 142.363561
BGN 1.955342
BHD 0.442535
BIF 3485.3317
BMD 1.173847
BND 1.499081
BOB 8.079959
BRL 6.532446
BSD 1.16942
BTN 100.975505
BWP 16.301201
BYN 3.826657
BYR 23007.408352
BZD 2.348994
CAD 1.596527
CDF 3387.723955
CHF 0.931595
CLF 0.029082
CLP 1116.01163
CNY 8.422121
CNH 8.416574
COP 4780.563824
CRC 589.809271
CUC 1.173847
CUP 31.106955
CVE 110.182621
CZK 24.619071
DJF 208.0313
DKK 7.465693
DOP 70.583241
DZD 152.308067
EGP 57.596111
ERN 17.60771
ETB 162.227783
FJD 2.634349
FKP 0.869745
GBP 0.868084
GEL 3.181396
GGP 0.869745
GHS 12.189886
GIP 0.869745
GMD 84.516707
GNF 10146.019296
GTQ 8.97429
GYD 244.637095
HKD 9.214602
HNL 30.605985
HRK 7.535276
HTG 153.455726
HUF 399.177331
IDR 19125.729886
ILS 3.918931
IMP 0.869745
INR 101.373221
IQD 1531.754773
IRR 49433.652652
ISK 142.411591
JEP 0.869745
JMD 187.52577
JOD 0.832246
JPY 172.44581
KES 151.731816
KGS 102.653563
KHR 4686.795336
KMF 492.431418
KPW 1056.499023
KRW 1619.064342
KWD 0.3582
KYD 0.97448
KZT 623.908845
LAK 25218.360153
LBP 104768.238001
LKR 352.729284
LRD 234.444716
LSL 20.585285
LTL 3.466066
LVL 0.710049
LYD 6.335776
MAD 10.534824
MDL 19.830751
MGA 5176.570693
MKD 61.514009
MMK 2463.850479
MNT 4213.264996
MOP 9.454831
MRU 46.414252
MUR 53.398602
MVR 18.108621
MWK 2027.748047
MXN 21.885733
MYR 4.962438
MZN 75.079323
NAD 20.585285
NGN 1790.845049
NIO 43.030577
NOK 11.82268
NPR 161.570835
NZD 1.955435
OMR 0.451342
PAB 1.169326
PEN 4.163587
PGK 4.915639
PHP 66.838282
PKR 333.247756
PLN 4.253142
PYG 8893.070754
QAR 4.263313
RON 5.069025
RSD 117.134746
RUB 92.147436
RWF 1690.372984
SAR 4.403584
SBD 9.725437
SCR 17.138371
SDG 704.890736
SEK 11.165278
SGD 1.501051
SHP 0.92246
SLE 26.998775
SLL 24614.996951
SOS 668.35439
SRD 43.002142
STD 24296.270465
STN 24.483259
SVC 10.23135
SYP 15262.196543
SZL 20.593007
THB 37.791429
TJS 11.225407
TMT 4.120204
TND 3.42444
TOP 2.749266
TRY 47.464231
TTD 7.94113
TWD 34.480618
TZS 3063.741467
UAH 48.851737
UGX 4195.862934
USD 1.173847
UYU 47.2147
UZS 14736.981793
VES 140.233206
VND 30679.674729
VUV 139.41638
WST 3.094419
XAF 655.519947
XAG 0.029962
XAU 0.000343
XCD 3.172381
XCG 2.107424
XDR 0.81527
XOF 655.519947
XPF 119.331742
YER 282.838371
ZAR 20.616983
ZMK 10566.038017
ZMW 27.04297
ZWL 377.978373
  • CMSC

    0.0900

    22.314

    +0.4%

  • CMSD

    0.0250

    22.285

    +0.11%

  • RBGPF

    0.0000

    69.04

    0%

  • SCS

    0.0400

    10.74

    +0.37%

  • RELX

    0.0300

    53

    +0.06%

  • RIO

    -0.1400

    59.33

    -0.24%

  • GSK

    0.1300

    41.45

    +0.31%

  • NGG

    0.2700

    71.48

    +0.38%

  • BP

    0.1750

    30.4

    +0.58%

  • BTI

    0.7150

    48.215

    +1.48%

  • BCC

    0.7900

    91.02

    +0.87%

  • JRI

    0.0200

    13.13

    +0.15%

  • VOD

    0.0100

    9.85

    +0.1%

  • BCE

    -0.0600

    22.445

    -0.27%

  • RYCEF

    0.1000

    12

    +0.83%

  • AZN

    -0.1200

    73.71

    -0.16%

Imperious Scheffler surges into British Open halfway lead

Imperious Scheffler surges into British Open halfway lead

Scottie Scheffler ignited his bid for a maiden British Open title by surging through the field to take a one-shot lead after the second round at Royal Portrush on Friday.

Text size:

The world number one brushed aside two torrential rain showers in Northern Ireland to fire a seven-under par 64, the best round of the week so far, and send an ominous warning to his title rivals.

He is 10-under overall at the halfway stage, one stroke clear of Matthew Fitzpatrick.

Fitzpatrick produced a brilliant 66 to boost his hopes of becoming the first English winner since Nick Faldo claimed his third title in 1992.

Brian Harman, the 2023 champion, is one shot further behind on eight-under, alongside China's Li Haotong.

Home favourite Rory McIlroy carded a two-under par 69 to reach three-under for the tournament, but is already seven strokes off the pace.

Scheffler struggled off the tee on Thursday but still scored a first-round 68 to sit one stroke off the overnight lead.

He got his second round off to a flying start with a first-hole birdie in driving rain.

The PGA Championship winner then reeled off three consecutive birdies from the fifth hole, including a 34-foot putt down the hill on the par-three sixth.

A second downpour played its part in a rare bogey on the 11th, but Scheffler quickly responded with his sixth birdie of the round on the par-three 13th.

The three-time major champion picked up another shot on the treacherous 16th, dubbed "Calamity Corner", before reaching 10-under on the 17th despite hitting his drive into the crowd.

One last birdie putt pulled up just short of the last hole, but Scheffler will be a firm favourite going into the weekend as he eyes his fourth win of the year.

Former US Open champion Fitzpatrick reeled off four straight birdies at the start of the back nine to briefly reach 10-under, before giving a shot back on the 14th.

He missed a three-foot birdie putt on the penultimate green but made up for it by draining a 23-footer for par on 18.

"He's world number one, and we're seeing Tiger-like stuff. I think the pressure is for him to win the golf tournament," Fitzpatrick said, looking ahead to playing with Scheffler in Saturday's final group.

- Harman makes move -

Harman, who won by six shots at Hoylake two years ago, completed a bogey-free 65 with his sixth birdie of the day on the 18th green.

"It's a very boring approach that I take. I'm not trying to be heroic or do anything crazy," he said.

Li is bidding to become the first Chinese man to win a major championship and he made five birdies in a second consecutive round of 67.

He came close to edging ahead of Harman, but saw a birdie putt on the 18th agonisingly slip by the hole.

"Definitely want to be comfortable... Will be a lot of pressure for sure, but just have to find a way to deal with that," Li said of the scrutiny which will be on him over the weekend.

- McIlroy stays in touch -

McIlroy, who only made two of 14 fairways on Thursday, delighted the crowds surrounding the opening hole with a birdie to immediately move to two-under after his first-round 70.

His roller-coaster tournament continued, with bogeys on the third and fifth holes sandwiching another birdie on four, as his errant driving prevented him from taking full advantage of excellent early scoring conditions.

But the world number two found his groove late in his round, making two birdies in his final seven holes to stay in touch.

"I feel like I maybe could be a couple closer to the lead, but overall in a decent position heading into the weekend," said Masters champion McIlroy.

Robert MacIntyre, hoping to become the first Scottish major champion since Paul Lawrie in 1999, cruised into contention with a 66 to reach five-under.

MacIntyre is level with Englishman Tyrrell Hatton, also seeking a maiden major title, Danish youngster Rasmus Hojgaard and Scottish Open champion Chris Gotterup.

M.J.Baumann--NZN