The Open

Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI Journalist at Royal Portrush

Image source, Getty Images

Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin said he was frustrated with "silly mistakes" as he missed the cut at The Open after day two.

After an opening round of one over at Royal Portrush, McKibbin birdied the opening hole on Friday but bogeyed the eighth, 11th and 14th to move to four over.

A birdie on the 15th gave him hope of making the cut, which had fluctuated between one and two over par, but three closing pars left him on three over for the tournament.

"It's been a frustrating last two days. I've played some really nice golf," McKibbin told BBC Sport NI.

"I think it's the best I've played in the four majors I've played in. There was just a few silly mistakes."

McKibbin, 22, said he made a "silly mistake" on the eighth hole when he overshot the green and his round never really recovered from that mistake.

"It's very frustrating with the way I think I've been playing. I birdied the first and made some really nice chances, and to drop those shots that I didn't think were too poor of a shot, they were more of a mistake, that's what more frustrating than anything.

"It was a great week, the whole way through with the crowds and everything but it wasn't meant to be."

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI senior journalist at Royal Portrush

Image source, Getty Images

After starting his Open Championship with a dispiriting seven-over 78, Bryson DeChambeau thrust himself back into the tournament with a superb 65 on Friday.

With a nickname like 'The Scientist' and a reputation for gruelling, long-into-the-night range sessions, surely some great change enabled his resurgence in the second round?

Not according to the man himself.

"I've played the same as I did yesterday. That's links golf for you," said the 31-year-old American.

"I executed pretty much the same shots as I did yesterday. I didn't feel like I played any different. Today they just kind of went more my way."

DeChambeau conquered feared US Open venues Winged Foot and Pinehurst to win his two majors, but he struggled around Royal Portrush on Thursday.

His travails included a double bogey six at the fourth after failing to advance his ball out of thick rough.

He ended his birdie-less opening round with two bogeys and admitted he told himself he wanted "to go home".

"But I woke up this morning and I said, you know what, I can't give up," he added.

"My dad always told me never to give up, just got to keep going, and that's what I did today."

"I was proud of the way I fought back, really persevered through some emotionally difficult moments," added DeChambeau, who resisted the urge to "slam clubs and throw things".

DeChambeau, who has been a hugely popular amongst fans at Portrush this week, must wait to see if his joint-best-of-the-week 65 will be enough to make the cut.

At the time of writing, he is on the projected cut mark at one over.

Matt Gault
BBC Sport NI senior journalist at Royal Portrush

Image source, Getty Images

Four weeks on from the toughest loss of his career at the US Open, Tyrrell Hatton once again finds himself contending at a major.

On Friday, the Englishman carded a second-round 69 to sit five under at the halfway point of the Open at Royal Portrush.

He was, however, left frustrated after reaching six under with a birdie two on the 13th, only to cover the final five holes in one over.

"It felt like a pretty frustrating day," said the 33-year-old, who is three back of Brian Harman.

"[I] didn't hit it particularly close on many holes. I missed the green with a lob wedge into 14, which after a perfect tee shot was frustrating, and obviously ended up making bogey.

"That was a bit of a shame. But it's been a solid couple of days."

Hatton is known for reacting furiously to bad shots and missed putts, and even when it has seemed as though he has been keeping his cool, he assured the media that he is still cursing himself when required.

"I was still pretty vocal. Maybe I'm just having to do it away from the microphone," added the LIV Golf player, who finished tied sixth at Royal Portrush in 2019.

When asked if he will ever change, Hatton said he thinks "that ship has sailed",

"I'm not going to change. It's just how I am, how I play," he said.

"I've always said, as long as it's not affecting my playing partners...sure, there's been times I've probably gone too far and you comment on a putt when they're putting on the same line and then it maybe affects where they're hitting their putt.

"Stuff like that, I think that's part of what you learn as you get more experience, so I do try and avoid that kind of thing.

"But yeah, as long as I'm not affecting the other guys, then I'm not going to change."

Off the course, Hatton has had no trouble relaxing, whether it's been a bit of Netflix or taking in a quick evening round at Ballyreagh, a nine-hole par-three course just up the road from the Dunluce Links.

"It was really fun. It was a beautiful evening.

"I went and had three pints of Guinness afterwards, so that kind of made the evening a bit better."

Bob MacIntyre birdies the 12th and 13th holes during an exceptional second round at Royal Portrush.

Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood cannot believe how close Justin Thomas was to a birdie on the third hole on the second day of The Open.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy says he is happy sitting on one under par, three shots off the lead, after the opening round of The Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

Richard Winton
BBC Sport Scotland

Image source, Getty Images

Robert MacIntyre will go into day two at the Open as the leading Scot in the field despite turning the air blue as he scrambled down the back nine.

After being one off the lead at three under par through eight holes, he slipped back around the turn.

"Wow. Wow," was then his reaction after his birdie putt on 13 stayed above ground before his scorecard holder took a sharp slap after bogey on 14 returned him to level par.

He was still fulminating to his caddie as he barrelled up 15 - punctuating his grievance with all the good swears - then made to snap a club over his knee after spraying his second off to the right and leaving a chip 10 feet short of the hole.

"Just so bad," he groused, far more profanely than the BBC censors would allow.

At this stage, MacIntyre looked like he could well set fire to the entirely of Portrush with his fury, never mind his chances of contending this week.

But, pars at 16, 17 and 18 kept him just four shots back.

"I thought I managed to keep a lid on it fairly well," MacIntyre said, admirably keeping a straight face. "There were a couple of swears out there, but it's difficult.

"The way I was scrambling with the last four holes, I would have have taken that."

Watch the best shots from the first round of the 2025 Open at Royal Portrush.