The 152nd Open Championship - Day two digest

Everything you need to know from day two in the west of Scotland.

Shane Lowry moved ahead, Troon put the best to the test, comebacks were the order of the day and Max Homa showed just how much this event means to the players on day two of The 152nd Open Championship.

Here is everything you need to know from Friday at Royal Troon.

Lowry heads the field

Lowry will take a two-shot lead into the weekend as he sets his sights on a second Claret Jug. The Irishman, who won The Open in 2019, backed up a five-under-par 66 in the first round with a 69 on Friday to hit the front at the final men's Major Championship of the year. In the calmer morning conditions, he displayed his experience to plot his way around the course for the most part, overcoming a double bogey at the 11th to birdie two of his final three holes and reach seven under for the week. His nearest challengers are English pair Dan Brown and Justin Rose at five under. "I felt like I went out there, I was in control of my ball, did all the right things for a lot of the round," said Lowry. "Then when I got in a bit of trouble, I feel like I really finished the round well. I'm pretty happy with the day. To be leading this tournament after two days, it's why you come here, it's why we're here."

A tough day on the Ayrshire links

Major Championship golf is meant to be hard and that was certainly the case for the second round. While there was little or no rain on day two, the gusts picked up as the day went on, only increasing the challenge as many of the game's best players toiled. There was just two players who were bogey free all day, with that distinction going to Danish amateur Jacob Skov Olesen, who won the prestigious Amateur Championship last month to earn his place in the field, and former World Number One Jason Day. The best score of the day was a three-under-par 68, achieved by six players: Billy Horschel, Jason Day, Patrick Cantlay, Gary Woodland, Jorge Campillo and Rose. Rose later said he went into 'survival' mode as he faced the most challenging conditions of the day with aplomb. "I think today it tipped over the edge where the elements were in control, meaning that you were aiming right of a pin and slicing the ball and seeing the ball hook," he said. At the other end of the scale, Japanese qualifier Aguri Iwasaki finished bottom of the leaderboard at 23 over after a torrid 91.

The comeback kids

Amid tales of woe there were a couple of cases of players producing fightbacks worthy of recognition. After opening with a nine-over-par 80, things appeared bleak for Campillo but the three-time winner from Spain bounced back impressively with that 68 to make the cut on the number at six over. And a week on from his dramatic victory in his national Open, Robert MacIntyre once again showed his grit as he recovered from dropping eight shots in his opening four holes to make four birdies from the seventh and ensure progress through to the weekend. "After four holes, I was staring 90 in the face. If that wind had stayed up and it actually did stay the same," said MacIntyre after his 75. "It was just I've got a lot of pride in myself, Mike (Burrow, his caddie) has got a lot of pride in his work. Once he straightened my head a little bit and we kind of regained focus, it was right back to work."

Homa comes up clutch to make the cut

It means something to make the cut in a Major. You only needed to see the passion etched on Homa's face after he holed a 29-footer on the 18th green to move to six under. The American, who is making his fourth start at the championship, finished tied tenth last year and who knows what might be possible for the World Number 15 over the weekend after grinding out a 72.

A fighter until the end

For just the second time in his last 16 starts at a Major, Rory McIlroy missed the cut but he fought hard despite not having his best as he gave the hordes of fans who offered their support a reward with this brilliant chip-in from a greenside bunker at the 14th on his way to a 75 to finish on 11 over.