Summary

  • Leader: -5 Cole (14); 4 DeChambeau (66)

  • Selected scores: -3 D Johnson (67), Scheffler (67), Conners (67); -2 Scott (68), Hovland (68)

  • +1 McIlroy (71); +2 Thomas (72); +6 Rahm (76), Fitzpatrick (76)

  • Darkness halts play after frost delayed start

  1. McIlroy ends with battling parpublished at 20:34 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    McIlroy +1, Morikawa +1, Thomas +2 (18)*

    Correction see 20:18...just a pitching wedge for Rory, who clips on but looks well short.

    It's at least 30 feet for a birdie from there. It'll just be a par for the Northern Irishman but that's okay considering his round today.

    The defending champion Justin Thomas, coughs up another shot after playing errantly off to the right from the tee and being unable to salvage his par with a 15-foot putt.

    Collin Morikawa, ends up with a 71 as well.

  2. Postpublished at 20:32 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    Fitzpatrick +6, Rahm +7, Smith +2 (16*)

    Is the pressure off for Jon Rahm? He finds the fairway and follows it up with a pin-seeker on the eighth.

    Matt Fitzpatrick and Cam Smith are also on the dancefloor and they have the hole surrounded.

  3. Postpublished at 20:22 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    Bradley -3, DeChambeau -3 (14*)

    Disciplined golf from co-leaders Keegan Bradley and Bryson DeChambeau on the par-three fifth hole.

    Both have long putts, both roll to within inches and both tuck away.

    Four holes left for the American pair to try and steal a shot on each other.

  4. Rahm in double troublepublished at 20:21 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    Fitzpatrick +6, Rahm +7, Smith +2 (16*)

    Jon RahmImage source, Getty Images

    I'm not sure I've ever seen Jon Rahm struggle so much and it feels like his head has gone. Two more trips to the rough on the par-four seventh are going to cost him another shot.

    No! Two gone for the world number one. He had a four-footer for bogey, but that stayed on the green.

    Both Matt Fitzpatrick and Cam Smith record pars after going fairway, green and two putts.

  5. Postpublished at 20:18 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    McIlroy +1, Morikawa E, Thomas +1 (17)*

    Rory McIlroy with a booming drive down the ninth but that looks like it's heading well left.

    It travels almost 340 yards to leave an eight or nine (probably a nine) iron into the green, as long as his lie is okay that is.

  6. Hovland saves par, Spieth birdiespublished at 20:18 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    Hovland -2, Spieth +2, Lowry +2 (17*)

    A bit less routine for Hovland, we said.

    He nearly rolls it in from off the green. It must have touched the hole on its way past. Anyway, a tap-in for par. Excellent from Viktor after his tee shot found sand on this penultimate hole of the round.

    And Jordan Spieth makes his 10-foot putt for a first birdie in hours, since his fourth hole of the day.

  7. Conners closes level with Schefflerpublished at 20:17 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    Conners -3 (F)

    A confident finish from Corey Conners as he chips from the edge of the green to tap-in city.

    There aren't many punters round the 18th green to acknowledge the co-leader but the Canadian has put in a tidy round and joins Scheffler in the clubhouse at -3.

  8. Postpublished at 20:15 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    Hovland -2, Spieth +3, Lowry +2 (16*)

    Good recovery from Viktor Hovland from a fairway bunker on the eighth.

    He's close to the green but not quite on it - just in the fringe, which will make the two putts needed for par a bit less routine than it would have been if it was a couple feet to the right.

    Jordan Spieth enjoys a lucky bounce off the same ridge fringe to set up a makeable birdie chance from about 10 feet.

  9. McIlroy claws back a shotpublished at 20:13 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    McIlroy +1, Morikawa E, Thomas +1 (17)*

    Rory McIlroyImage source, Getty Images

    At last. Rory McIlroy knocks in the sort of putt you expect him to in his sleep.

    Considering his performance so far and perhaps maybe his fragile confidence, even if he were to end up at one over par, it'd probably have to go down as a very decent result.

    Just pars for JT and Collin Morikawa there, who both had their birdie putts from downtown.

  10. Scheffler finishes on -3published at 20:11 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    Scheffler -3, Koepka +2, Woodland +3 (F)

    Scottie SchefflerImage source, Getty Images

    Oof, so close for Scottie Scheffler as he chases the outright lead.

    He lines up a 22-footer, sends it on its way but it flicks the side of the hole as it runs on by.

    Not to worry though - a perfectly clean card for the day and three birdies sets him up very nicely for round two.

    No joy for Brooks Koepka with his 13-foot putt. It scoots by and he closes with a frustrating bogey.

  11. DeChambeau shares the leadpublished at 20:09 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    DeChambeau -3 (13*)

    Bryson DeChambeauImage source, Getty Images

    Bryson DeChambeau, unsurprisingly, manages to take care of the 617-yard, par-five fourth hole to pick up the birdie that takes him into a share of the lead.

    Even Bryson can't reach the green in two though out of the rough - so that's one-up for Oak Hill, but he dinks a gorgeous third shot to four feet and sends it home for a four.

  12. Fox well in the huntpublished at 20:06 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    Fox -2 (68)

    Ryan FoxImage source, Getty Images

    Ryan Fox has been through a lot recently, battling a bout of pneumonia while also welcoming his second child into the world, but he's combining the 'nappy factor' and 'injured golfer' sayings to challenge here.

    A bogey on 17 was a blow but two under around Oak Hill in the first round is more than solid - and he'll still be there or thereabouts come the end of the day you'd think.

  13. Postpublished at 20:05 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    McIlroy +2, Morikawa E, Thomas +1 (16)*

    The eighth green is one of the largest on this tough Oak Hill track and that works nicely for Justin Thomas, who continues his way up the right to find the putting surface.

    Rory McIlroy has a tough lie in the thicker three-four inch stuff that swallows up the blade as it connects.

    He's around 135 yards from the pin and arrows his shot straight at the flag, seeing his ball skip on to six feet. Great shot.

  14. Postpublished at 20:04 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    Scheffler -3 (17*), Koepka +1, Woodland +3 (17*)

    Scottie Scheffler digs it out of the short rough just to the left of the fairway and pings another lovely approach shot into the middle of the green.

    It'll be a tough putt for birdie, but he should close out with at minimum three under.

    Playing partner Brooks Koepka is trying to find something on this final hole. He gets stuck behind a hill off the tee and his second shot is into a greenside bunker.

    He would take a +1 finish given where many of his competitors are currently. It'll be a long putt for par.

  15. Postpublished at 20:02 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    Hovland -2, Spieth +3, Lowry +2 (16*)

    Jordan Spieth cannot get his putter hot today.

    Another birdie chance rolls by on the seventh green and the three-time major winner remains three over par - with two holes of his round remaining.

    Viktor Hovland holes his six-foot par putt to stay a stroke off the lead.

  16. Bogeys all roundpublished at 20:01 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    Fitzpatrick +6, Rahm +5, Smith +2 (15*)

    More trouble for Jon Rahm, Matt Fitzpatrick and Cam Smith on the par-four sixth.

    Rahm fires his second into a greenside bunker and can't get up and down to save par.

    Meanwhile, Fitzy goes way left and then has to lay up short of the creek that bisects the hole. He misjudges his third and takes two more from 40 feet.

    Smith drives into the water but thrashes his third from 250 yards to 12 feet. However, he's too aggressive with the par putt.

  17. Conners just missespublished at 20:01 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    Conners -3 (17)

    Conners has an outside chance to grab the shot back he lost on the last, but he just can't convert from 24 feet away although it was a pretty nice stroke he put on it.

    One more to go for the Canadian.

  18. Postpublished at 19:58 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    McIlroy +2, Morikawa E, Thomas +1 (16)*

    Relatively uncomplicated pars for Rory McIlroy and Collin Morikawa on the seventh albeit the Northern Irishman couldn't find the fairway again from the tee.

    A tad more work to do for JT, who scramble out of the right bunker to get up and down for par.

  19. Scheffler joins leaderspublished at 19:51 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    Scheffler -3 (17*)

    Scottie SchefflerImage source, Getty Images

    He's played a beautifully well-paced round and finally Scottie Scheffler has joined the frontrunners.

    His approach play on the eighth gained him a three-footer and he duly tucks it away to move to the top of the leaderboard.

  20. Postpublished at 19:51 British Summer Time 18 May 2023

    Fitzpatrick +5, Rahm +4, Smith +1 (14*)

    I did Matt Fitzpatrick a dis-service in my last entry. His escape from the bunker on the par-three fifth went slightly closer than 60ft... in to 12, actually. Sorry Matt!

    Still, he can't hole the par putt and his championship hopes are drifting away.

    Jon Rahm nudges in his par putt, while Cam Smith two-putts from 35 feet for par.