This is terrain on the Causeway Coast where, history tells us, legends have walked the walk. And, so, on a day when the weather gods were unpredictable, Scottie Scheffler strode the Dunluce links with all of the predictability of a world number one in shooting a second round 64 for a midway total of 10-under-par 132 that gave him the solo 36-holes lead in this 153rd Open.
For Shane Lowry, though, who had played in the same threeball, there was a sour end to a round where he too had played with some sublime shot-making as his 70 was turned into a 72 post-round after incurring a two strokes penalty for his ball moving in semi-rough on the par-5 12th hole.
Lowry was unaware of the possible infringement until approached by an R&A rules official on the 15th fairway.
The incident – picked up on slow-motion television replays – occurred when Lowry made a practice swish of his club, some 12 inches left of the ball in the wet grass, which was deemed to have caused the slightest of downward movement, a dimple at most, of the ball which he didn’t – or couldn’t possibly – notice.
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“I was in there with the rules official and wasn’t arguing my case, but I’m disappointed that they don’t have more camera angles on it. The one [they had] zoomed in slow motion; they’re trying to tell me if it doesn’t move from the naked eye, if you don’t see it moving, it didn’t move. I told them I definitely was looking down towards the ball as I was taking that practice swing, and I didn’t see it move,” explained Lowry.
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“I think they had it in their heads the ball moved, I caused it to move, it’s a two-shot penalty. They only had one camera angle which was zoomed in at the ball. They had none of me actually full length, which we were looking for and needed. If the ball moved and I caused it to move and it moved, it’s a two-shot penalty.
“The last thing I want to do is sit there and argue and not take the penalty and then get slaughtered all over social media tonight for being a cheat.”
Lowry’s revised 72 for 142 still saw him survive into the weekend but, especially with Scheffler at the top of the leaderboard, and a packed field in between, with an Everest of his own to climb.
Scheffler, too, addressed the rules decision. “Ultimately in golf it’s up to the player, and I felt like Shane was put in a pretty tough situation there when they were zooming in on his golf ball.
“In the rough it’s hard to tell. From what I looked at very briefly on the video, it looked like it was very difficult to see if the ball was moving. If the ball moved. The camera was kind of zooming in as stuff was happening. One of the great things about the game of golf is that you call your penalties on yourself. This situation, it was a very tough spot for Shane to be put in. He handled it really well,” said Scheffler.
The day itself was pernickety, at times delivering sunshine and at others bringing dark clouds off the North Atlantic that delivered heavy downpours. The rain, when it came, mainly through the afternoon, was powerful but short-lived and had the effect of reducing the wind to a mere breeze that enabled players – most pertinently Scheffler – to charge.
Scheffler’s 64 was one outside the course record set by Lowry in the third round of the Irishman’s march to victory in 2019.
For the American, immune to the rain that doused the links on numerous occasions, it was an impressive display of shot-making and evidence of his ability to learn and adapt his game to the nuances of links.
Scheffler had eight birdies and a lone bogey in a round that saw him claim a one-stroke lead over England’s Matt Fitzpatrick – who had carded a 65 for 133 – with Brian Harmon, the champion in 2023, and Haotong Li in tied-third a shot further back.
Rory McIlroy’s topsy-turvy front nine – which saw two birdies and two bogeys in his opening five holes – steadied itself on the homeward run and, seven shots adrift, his hopes of winning are not entirely remote. His swing looked back to its rhythmic self, as if it clicked into place in powering long, accurate drives that brought birdies on the 12th and 14th in signing for a 69 for three-under-par 139.
Unlike his abrupt departure in 2019, McIlroy not only survived the cut on this occasion but entitled to have ambitions. “I’m excited for that opportunity. I didn’t have this opportunity six years ago, so to play an extra two days in this atmosphere in front of these crowds, I’m very excited for that. I feel like my game’s definitely good enough to make a run,” insisted McIlroy.
The first part of his mission complete, to be around for the weekend, McIlroy must now kick on but aware not to force the issue: “If you have one of those out of the blue days you can get it going, but for the most part, you’re just trying to pick off your birdies on the easy holes and honestly, like, hold on with some of these really tough par 4s,” said McIlroy who, like everyone, is cast in the role as pursuer to Scheffler.
