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The two rounds of the Open Championship 2023 are over, and the field is reduced to half after 36 holes. Brian Harman is leading after 36 holes of play, followed by Tommy Fleetwood, who is five strokes behind him.
After carding a 4-under 67 on Day 1 at Royal Liverpool, Harman fired a 6-under 65 on Friday, July 22, to aggregate at 10-under after two days. Fleetwood entered the second day as the joint leader, but an even par-71 on day 2 meant he had to slip to second place. Sepp Straka was placed third after a 71 in the second round.
None of the tournament favorites at this year's Open has had a great outing at the event so far. While Rory McIlroy is at T11, aggregating at 1-under, Jon Rahm is tied for 39th place at 2-over. Scottie Scheffler and Rickie Fowler are just above the cutline at 3-over.
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Several prominent names like Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa, and Phil Mickelson fell short of the cutline at Royal Liverpool, resulting in an early flight home.
Over the next two days, eyes will be on a few names as the third round of the 151st Open begins in a few hours. Here's a look at five players to watch out for in the remaining two rounds of The Open Championship 2023.
Five players to watch out for at the Open Championship 2023 weekend
1) Brian Harman
Brian Harman made an incredible start in the second round of the Open Championship, as he sank four straight birdies from holes 2 to 5. Then he went on to hit 12 straight holes for par until the par-5, 583-yard 18th hole, where he made an impressive eagle to finish the day on a high.
Harman is looking to earn his first PGA Tour victory in six years. His last win came at the 2017 Wells Fargo Championship. Harman came close to winning a major in 2017 after a 54-hole lead at the US Open but eventually lost to Brooks Koepka by four strokes.
2) Tommy Fleetwood
Tommy Fleetwood had a relatively tough day at the Open Championship 2023, as he shot an even-par 71 on Friday. However, he still holds second place at 5-under.
Hailing from Southport, a mere 30 miles away from Royal Liverpool, Fleetwood is eying to become the first English golfer since Nick Faldo to win the Open Championship.
3) Rory McIlroy
Before the start of the 151st Open, every golf pundit felt this was Rory McIlroy's year. Oddsmakers believed he would end his nine-year major drought on Sunday, July 23. However, the start hasn't been good enough for the star golfer.
McIlroy shot an even-par 71 on Thursday and a 1-under 71 the following day to aggregate at 1-under after 36 holes. Although he is still placed in T11, the distance between him and Harman is 9 strokes.
To lift the Claret Jug on Sunday, the 34-year-old Northern Irishman will have to play exceptional rounds of golf over the next two days and hope that the table-toppers falter a bit in the remaining two days.
4) Scottie Scheffler
Prior to the Open Championship 2023, Scottie Scheffler had been on a seven-event streak of finishing in the top 5. So far this season, he has featured in 19 events, made top-10 finishes fifteen times, and only once finished outside the top 25.
However, the start of the last major of the season hasn't been ideal for the World No. 1 golfer. Following a 70 on day 1 at Royal Liverpool, he posted a 75 in the second round at Royal Liverpool, which meant he escaped missing the cut by just one stroke.
For the uninitiated, the 26-year-old golfer has yet to miss a cut this year. Although his cut-making streak is still intact, fans will have to wait to see if the top-5 finish streak remains or ends this week.
5) Christo Lamprecht
Amateur Christo Lamprecht had a flying start in his first-ever major event when he finished as a joint leader on Thursday evening at 5-under 65. However, the lack of experience was visible the following day, as the young golfer ended up shooting 8 over 79 on Friday.
From the 18-hole lead to narrowly making the cut, Amateur Champion Lamprecht witnessed two polar days at his major debut. However, it is still a learning phase for the 22-year-old South African, and it will be interesting to see how he approaches the remaining two days at the 151st Open.
