Shane Lowry had the full support of Rory McIlroy as he sought to turn the halfway lead into a second Open title at Royal Troon.
While McIlroy made an early exit on 11 over par following rounds of 78 and 75, Lowry mastered the windy conditions to shoot 66 and 69 and forge a two-shot lead over Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose and surprise package Dan Brown.
McIlroy conceded he started thinking about his holiday plans as soon as his faint hopes of making the cut disappeared following a triple-bogey on the fourth, but the world number two will be glued to his television screen to cheer on Lowry over the weekend.
“I can’t wait to watch,” McIlroy, who partnered Lowry to victory in the Zurich Classic in New Orleans in April, said.
“He’s so creative. I think even just watching the coverage the last couple of days, that little sort of squeezy cut that he can hit, especially going out in that front nine, is going to be really helpful to him.
“He relishes these conditions. He loves playing these conditions. The Open Championship is his favourite tournament in the world. He gets more up for this than anything else.
“I’m looking forward to cheering him on and hopefully him getting his second Claret Jug.”
Only 10 players were under par after two testing days at Troon, with world number one and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler poised to challenge for a seventh win of the season on two under, five off the lead.
McIlroy was one of a number of star names to miss the cut, the Northern Irishman joining US Open conqueror Bryson DeChambeau, Tiger Woods, Tommy Fleetwood and Ludvig Aberg in making an early exit.
Shot of the day
Minutes after thinning his second shot on the ninth into a rough-filled hollow, Jon Rahm produced a perfectly judged pitch to make an unlikely birdie.
Round of the day
Justin Rose was one of six players to card a 68 in round two, the 2013 US Open champion amazingly dropping just one shot in 36 holes despite the conditions.
Quote of the day
Shane Lowry paused for a moment before delivering an honest answer on his frontrunning skills.
Statistic of the day
Golf Digest’s Jamie Kennedy highlights the “open” nature of the championship.
Easiest hole
The par-five 16th, which played downwind, was the easiest hole for the second day in succession, yielding two eagles, 58 birdies, 24 bogeys and just one double bogey for an average of 4.792.
Hardest hole
The 213-yard par-three fifth hole played the most difficult, with Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Shane Lowry making three of the 64 bogeys. Just three birdies and five double bogeys resulted in an average of 3.481.
Selected tee times
0955 – Harris English, Robert MacIntyre
1445 – Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson
1505 – Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele
1525 – Scottie Scheffler, Dean Burmester
1535 – Billy Horschel, Justin Rose
1545 – Daniel Brown, Shane Lowry
Weather forecast
Remaining overcast, very likely staying dry, although with a slight chance for some rain around midday. Further rain likely in mid-afternoon, turning persistent and heavier from late afternoon. Wind lighter than Friday with gusts up to 15mph.