The summary
Perhaps we are on the way to a record year. How far it seems, the 2003 edition of the British Open, where the American Ben Curtis won at -1 on this same course of the Royal St George’s, being the only player under s. In this year 2021, in more than favorable weather conditions for the moment, and in any case unusually mild, it will probably be necessary to score low to win the Claret Jug.
The player: Louis Oosthuizen
Level of gestures to lift the trophy, the South African knows how to do it, he who has already won at St Andrews in 2010. Level of quality of golf game, he has for the moment applied the right recipe. Certainly, Louis Oosthuizen conceded the first bogey of his week on the par 3 of 16. But for the rest, the one who was already leader after the first round delivered a new recital, with four birdies and an eagle, for a card of 65 (-5 ). His total of 129 over the first two laps is a new record (in absolute terms, not against par) on the first two laps of a British Open.
RECORD BREAKER! @Louis57TM cards the lowest 36-hole score ever at #TheOpen pic.twitter.com/9u9dxL86yw
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 16, 2021
At -11, he is two strokes ahead Collin Morikawa, also author of a very good day with a 64 (-6), and which will be part of the joint, Saturday, with the South African. Jordan Spieth is just behind, in 3rd position at -8 (-3 this Friday), ahead of a trio made up of Dylan Fritelli, Dustin Johnson and Scottie Scheffler to -7.
The French
On the side of the Blues, the day was a bit complicated. More complicated than the day before anyway for Benjamin Hébert, 4th to -4 after the first round, and who signed a 74 (+4) this Friday. The Briviste however ensures the essential, by qualifying for the weekend in the par total, in 53rd position.
#TheOpen – 2nd round
Hebert: “Difficult playing conditions … Every hole is going to be a fight”
The direct: https://t.co/ojHkd0mgor pic.twitter.com/KeZClDoIw7
— GOLF+ (@GolfCanalPlus) July 16, 2021
He will be accompanied during the last two laps by Antoine Rozner, which had a rough start with two bogeys on its first four holes. But the Racingman held on, by entering four birdies in his day, and in particular an ultimate on the 17 which proved to be very useful, allowing him to just cross the cut, at +1 total (+1 for the day).
#TheOpen – 2nd round
Rozner: “this birdie at the 17th to give me a chance this weekend”
The direct: https://t.co/ojHkd0mgor pic.twitter.com/0xMOLHHZ99
— GOLF+ (@GolfCanalPlus) July 16, 2021
Conversely, he missed a single shot at Victor perez to win his ticket. The French n ° 1, in the par after the first day, returned a card of 72 (+2), to fail by nothing in 78th place. The Tarbais, above all, suffered from a quadruple bogey on the par 3 of 6, while it was at -1 for the day. Unfortunately for him, the 2021 season in major therefore ends with four missed cuts.
There won’t be a weekend either for Mike Lorenzo-Vera, even if the Basque player signed a good second round, with a score of 69 (-1) to finish at +4. Romain Langasque, meanwhile, returned a 73 (+3) to post a total of +7.
At the state
1Louis Oosthuizen missed only one fairway, out of 14 possible, during this second round. Only one …
The shot of the day
At +1 total after 15 holes, the Englishman Jonathan Thomson, 2.06 m at the withers and resident of the Challenge Tour, could have some fears about his presence this weekend. After that hole-in-one at the 16th and a birdie at the 17th, everything was much better.
A big man with the big moment
6′ 9″ @jigger_thomson sends the crowd wild at 16 with the first ace of the week #TheOpen pic.twitter.com/FAnBYb3boV
— The Open (@TheOpen) July 16, 2021