Li in the clubhouse

New York Times

20-07-2025

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler took The 2025 Open Championship by storm on Friday at Royal Portrush, with a stunning round of 64 Getty Images
The second round of the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush saw world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler grab the lead with Matt Fitzpatrick one shot back.
Scheffler finished Friday at 10-under after he added a brilliant round of 64 to his opening 68, while Fitzpatrick has now shot scores of 67 and 66.
Former champion Brian Harman and Haotong Li are two shots back, with Harman going round in 65 today, while Li shot a 67.
Local favorite Rory McIlroy (-3) is still in the mix after shooting a 2-under 69, with 33 players under par heading into the weekend. Share your views: [e-mail]
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Open Championship 2025 Round 2: What to know as Scottie Scheffler takes the lead Getty Images
Haotong Li finishes up his second straight 4-under-par 67, this one with just one bogey (his only bogey of the tournament. He is tied for the clubhouse lead with Brian Harman.
Li will make the cut at the Open Championship for the third time in his sixth appearance. Getty Images
Scheffler -7, Lowry -2, Morikawa +6 (8)
Quite the drive from Scottie Scheffler on 9, hitting his drive nearly 350 yards to leave just 87 yards to the pin. Getty Images
Scheffler -7, Lowry -2, Morikawa +6 (8)
Another birdie opportunity has presented itself for Scottie Scheffler here, this time from about 22 feet away. He's unable to make it four straight birdies, but he takes the par.
Shane Lowry again misses another birdie putt. That one was not his best, but he taps in for par. Collin Morikawa struggles on 8, recording a brutal double-bogey that he really could not afford. Getty Images
Scheffler -7, Lowry -2, Morikawa +4 (7)
Scottie Scheffler had an uneven lie there, which may have impacted the result of that chip. He still has a good look for birdie, but he'll need to earn it.
Collin Morikawa gets a hard-earned par, Scheffler drills his birdie putt, and Shane Lowry misses a 7-footer for birdie before tapping in for par. Getty Images
Scheffler -6, Lowry -2, Morikawa +4 (6)
Strong effort from Scottie Scheffler there. He does not quite find the green, but he is 15 yards from the pin, where a relatively straightforward up and down would secure a birdie. Getty Images
Rahm -3, Schauffele -1, Spaun E (7)
Jon Rahm isn't going away in this Open Championship. One of the favorites entering the tournament, the Spaniard holed a 5-footer for birdie at the par-5 7th. It was a perfectly played hole for Rahm, who found the fairway after his 335-yard tee shot and found the putting surface on his 251-yard approach.
Rahm is currently five off the lead. Meanwhile, Rahm's playing partners, Xander Schauffele and J.J. Spaun, also carded birdies at the seventh.
Scheffler -6, Lowry -2, Morikawa +4 (6)
Scottie Scheffler's drive finds the rough along the right side of the fairway, Collin Morikawa lands in the rough on the right too, and Shane Lowry smacks a shot right down the middle. Getty Images
Nicolai Højgaard -4, McKibbin +3, Harrington +9 (F)
A solid round for Nicolai Højgaard, shooting a 2-under 69. The Danish golfer had five birdies to three bogeys on his card.
Nicolai is one back of his twin brother Rasmus, who shot a 3-under 68 to move to 5-under-par for the tournament. Perhaps a Højgaard pairing at some point this weekend? One can dream.
Meanwhile, three-time major winner Padraig Harrington got a roaring applause walking up the 18th, before shooting a second-round 76. Getty Images
Li -8, Dustin Johnson +2 (14)
Haotong Li records the first bogey of his Open Championship. Landing in the rough off the tee did not help Li whatsoever.
His third shot, which was short of the green, didn't even get to the hole, staying on the fringe. He missed the lengthy par putt, resulting in a bogey.
Li moves back to 8 under, now tied with Brian Harman for the lead.
Scheffler -6, Lowry -2, Morikawa +4 (6)
Thirty-four feet? No worries for Scottie Scheffler. His putt catches the lip but still drops, and the world No. 1 is now moving up the leaderboard in a hurry.
Shane Lowry does well to two-putt for par, and Collin Morikawa matches Scheffler with a strong birdie putt of his own.
Scheffler -5, Lowry -2, Morikawa +5 (5)
That is a tough pin placement on the sixth. Scottie Scheffler plays it safe and lands well beyond the pin, as does Shane Lowry.
Collin Morikawa took a similar path but ended up with the best shot of the three, still requiring almost 30 feet for birdie. Getty Images
Li -9, Dustin Johnson +2 (13)
Haotong Li in trouble on a hole? Never thought I'd see it in this round, given the level he's playing at.
But the solo leader landed his 277-yard tee shot in the deep rough on the right at the par-4 14th. After hacking it out of the rough, Li's approach landed short of the green. He used a lofted club to try to get the ball out of the rough.
He did that, but now faces a tricky up and down to save par.
Scheffler -5, Lowry -2, Morikawa +5 (5)
Frustration for Collin Morikawa as his birdie putt lips out. He wanted that one.
Shane Lowry takes a par, but Scottie Scheffler, who had the best look, converts the opportunity and moves to 5-under with the birdie.
Scheffler -4, Lowry -2, Morikawa +5 (4)
Scottie Scheffler's ability to stop the ball on a dime is still so impressive, spinning an iron shot to a halt to give himself less than eight feet for birdie.
Shane Lowry and Collin Morikawa are both looking at makeable birdie putts as well. Getty Images
Fitzpatrick -7, Matsuyama +1, +4 (7)
Everything is coming up birdie for Matt Fitzpatrick. Since his bogey at the fifth, the Englishman has back-to-back birdies to improve to 7-under-par for the tournament.
On the par-5 seventh, Fitzpatrick found the fairway with a monster 327-yard drive. His second shot just missed the green to the left but the 2022 U.S. Open champion was able to finesse his short game to three feet from the pin. Fitzpatrick sank the birdie putt and is now two off the lead.
Scheffler -4, Lowry -2, Morikawa +5 (4)
Rather than going for it all, Scottie Scheffler plays it safe and finds the fairway with a good look at the flag.
Collin Morikawa hits a similar shot. In fact, all three players end up in the same vicinity as Shane Lowry joins the party.
All three will have a decent lie to get up and down for birdie attempts. Imagn Images
Li -9, Dustin Johnson +1 (12)
Haotong Li is the new solo leader at the Open Championship. He's continuing to play stellar golf, adding another birdie at the par-5 12th.
Li, despite missing the fairway to the right after his 275-yard tee shot, was able to lay up before hitting his third shot to eight feet from the pin. He sank the birdie putt to move alone at the top of the leaderboard at 9 under.
What a round the Chinese golfer is putting together, now with five birdies on the card.
Fitzpatrick -6, Matsuyama +2, Fox +3 (6)
Matt Fitzpatrick showed great resilience at the par-3 sixth following his bogey at the fifth. The Englishman fired a dart of a tee shot, 176 yards to 10 feet from the cup. He sank the left-to-right birdie putt to return to 6-under-par.
How a golfer responds after bogeys highlights whether they can win this tournament. Fitzpatrick is proving he does. Imagn Images
Scheffler -4, Lowry -2, Morikawa +5 (4)
Two putts and a par for Scottie Scheffler on one of the course's harder holes.
Both Morikawa and Lowry left a bit of work for themselves but successfully get up and down to also par the hole.