{"id":1246311,"date":"2023-07-21T14:42:44","date_gmt":"2023-07-21T14:42:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/golftoday.co.uk\/brian-harman-sets-formidable-open-target-with-flawless-second-round\/"},"modified":"2023-11-29T18:44:01","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T18:44:01","slug":"brian-harman-sets-formidable-open-target-with-flawless-second-round","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/golftoday.co.uk\/brian-harman-sets-formidable-open-target-with-flawless-second-round\/","title":{"rendered":"Brian Harman sets formidable Open target with flawless second round"},"content":{"rendered":"

American Brian Harman set a daunting clubhouse target to leave Rory McIlroy with a mountain to climb to end his major drought in the 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.<\/p>\n

Harman carded four birdies in a row on the front nine and holed from 15 feet for an eagle on the 18th to complete a flawless second round of 65 and post a 10-under-par halfway total of 132.<\/p>\n

That matched the totals recorded at Hoylake by McIlroy in 2014 and Tiger Woods in 2006, although both men were 12 under on their way to lifting the Claret Jug as the course was a par-72 at the time.<\/p>\n

Nine years on, McIlroy will head into the weekend nine shots behind Harman after a third birdie of the day on the 18th saw him add a second round of 70 to his opening 71.<\/p>\n

Harman, who is bidding to become just the third left-hander to win the Open after Bob Charles (1963) and Phil Mickelson (2013), said: \u201cI\u2019ve had a hot putter the last couple of days so (will) try to ride it through the weekend.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m delighted with how I\u2019m playing. (I\u2019m) just really focused on getting some rest and getting after it tomorrow.<\/p>\n

\u201c(I\u2019m) Just not trying to get too caught up in it. It\u2019s just golf. I think when I held the 54-hole lead at the US Open (in 2017) I just probably thought about it too much.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Brian
Brian Harman chips out of a bunker on the 17th during day two of The Open at Royal Liverpool (David Davies\/PA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

The 36-year-old\u2019s superb round came after tournament officials took the unorthodox step of changing the way the bunkers were raked between rounds.<\/p>\n

Masters champion Jon Rahm described the course\u2019s 82 bunkers as \u201cproper penalty structures\u201d after having to play backwards out of one during his opening 74, while McIlroy needed two shots to escape sand on the 18th.<\/p>\n

In response, the R&A instructed greenkeeping staff to build up the edges of the bunkers to allow more balls to roll back into the centre.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Jon
Spain\u2019s Jon Rahm chips out of a bunker on the 18th during day one of The Open at Royal Liverpool (David Davies\/PA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

\u201cYesterday afternoon the bunkers dried out more than we have seen in recent weeks and that led to more balls running straight up against the face than we would normally expect,\u201d the R&A said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have therefore raked all of the bunkers slightly differently to take the sand up one revet on the face of the bunkers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe routinely rake bunkers flat at most Open venues but decided this adjustment was appropriate in light of the drier conditions which arose yesterday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe will continue to monitor this closely for the remainder of the Championship.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Rory
Rory McIlroy fails to chip out of a bunker on the 18th (David Davies\/PA)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n

Even those players who managed to successfully escape from the bunkers on day one had expressed their concerns, with former champion Stewart Cink speaking out following a bogey-free 68.<\/p>\n

\u201cEventually it\u2019ll catch up with you,\u201d the 2009 winner said. \u201cThe bottoms of them are so flat that if a ball comes in with any momentum, it\u2019s just going right up to the lip and stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s not a little upslope that helps you at all. They are very penal.\u201d<\/p>\n