Conditions in the early part of the day on Thursday were brutal with wind and rain lashing the Merseyside coast, but the sun came out later and allowed a glut of low scoring.
Jordan Spieth was close to flawless as he set the clubhouse lead at -5 and found himself joined by two Americans at the top of the leaderboard.
Matt Kuchar and Brooks Koepka both shot 65s to make it a three-way tie at the top with early leader Ian Poulter two shots back.
- Cut line of top 70 and ties starts day at +1 but expected to move out as round progresses
- Overnight leaders Brooks Koepka (3.10pm) and Jordan Spieth (2.48pm) off in later groups
- Leading Englishman Ian Poulter tees off at lunchtime (1.04pm)
The Open 2017 LIVE – Latest updates from round two at Royal Birkdale
11.30am: Two of the biggest names on the course at this moment are McIlroy and Mickelson, who could hardly be having more contrasting mornings.
A brilliant approach from the Northern Irishman at the sixth leaves him a simple birdie put to move within three shots of the lead at -2.
Mickelson meanwhile is fighting to make the cut, likely to fall at +2 at present. A triple-bogey seven at the third takes him out to four over but he battles back with a birdie two at the fourth. He’s at +3.
Charley Hoffman had a perfect start yesterday, holing out for an eagle two at the first hole. He bogeyed six today to move back to -2 but the 40-year-old has picked up his first birdie of the day at 10 and is just two shots off the lead.
11am: Charl Schwartzel has been playing some very consistent golf this week and after a 66 yesterday, he has joined the leaders at -5 with an early birdie.
I say leaders because Kuchar has been sucked back into the group after leaving his approach shot at the eighth well short and failing to get up and down.
And I say Schwartzel has been playing well – he immediately finds himself deep in the gorse at the side of the fifth green. The ball was in fact embedded in the ground and the rule over here is such that you can only claim a free drop if you’re on closely mown grass. The South African has to take a drop and a penalty. He drops two shots and is back to -3. Sorry Charl. That might be my fault.
10.30am: Austin Connelly is the best Canadian in town this week and he has played an exemplary round of golf so far today, with no bogeys and a solitary birdie at the par-four 11th. He’s only two shots off the lead and it he gets himself in the clubhouse with that sort of score (-4) the wind might blow others away and leave him sitting pretty.
Another man flying the flag for his country is Scot Richie Ramsay, a one-time US Amateur champion. He shot 68 yesterday and is yet to drop a shot, meaning he is tied for 10th.
McIlroy is in good spirits after drilling an approach into the heart of the third green. He’s laughing and joking with the TV crews and just generally enjoying himself. He holes the putt two and is -2 for the day!
Kuchar has parred the seventh and remains out front at -6.
10.15am: Four shots gone in six holes for Paul Casey. He had a good day yesterday with a 66 but already he is level par for the tournament after getting buffeted by the wind. Ouch.
10am: Morning! Thar she blows! As promised, the wind is out and it will be a day of graft for every player today. Anyone carding a 70 will probably be pretty pleased with things.
Rory McIlroy finished well yesterday, putting a run of five bogeys in six holes behind him to card a +1 71 and he’s started well again today. The 2014 Open champion has birdied the first.
Matt Kuchar shared the lead three ways overnight but is now out on his own – a bogey at two triggered a reactionary birdie at three and four.
However, he’s in a spot of bother at six after cutting a fairway wood into the bank to the right of the green. Awkward.
