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The Open

Fleetwood the favourite after sizzling 65 at The Open

Tommy Fleetwood is the new favourite for The Open after he fired a Friday 65 to sit just one shot adrift of Kevin Kisner and Zach Johnson at Carnoustie
 

What happened on Friday at The Open?

Zach Johnson and Kevin Kisner hold the 36-hole lead, but Friday at Carnoustie was all about Tommy Fleetwood, who fired a morning 65 to head into the weekend as the favourite and just one shot adrift.

Fleetwood, who found himself on the tougher side of the draw, played some stunning golf in dismal wet early conditions to sit well positioned as he seeks his first major championship title.

The Englishman – who finished runner-up to Brooks Koepka at last month’s US Open – holds the course record at Carnoustie, and that was evident today as the 27-year-old made six birdies on his way to a blemish-free round.

Kisner, meanwhile, held a two-shot cushion at the top heading into the 18th hole, but the American found Barry Burn with his approach and fell to a double-bogey finish.

Compatriot Johnson – the 2015 Open champion – moved into a share of the lead with a long birdie putt at the 18th, while Rory McIlroy (-4) and Jordan Spieth (-3) look ready to pounce heading into the final two rounds.

Tiger Woods had an up-and-down day to post another level-par 71 to sit six shots adrift.

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Talking point

With plenty of big names in contention, perhaps one of the biggest stories of the week has gone under the radar: the best two players in the world, Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas, both missed the cut.

Johnson wasn’t able to fully recover from Thursday’s 76 as the world No.1 concluded with a 72 to fall to a six-over par total.

Thomas, meanwhile, was in a fine position at two-under after the first round, but the American hit three double-bogeys in a row on the front-nine to shoot a 77 to miss the weekend by one shot.

Thomas’s Open record now reads MC-MC-53, with an average second round score of 78. Notably, his average opening round score is just under 68 – Thomas clearly isn’t comfortable when playing in poor conditions, and that was again the case this morning when the umbrellas were out in force.

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