Not everyone took advantage of the delightful conditions the first two days of the 149th British Open and will be leaving Royal St. George’s without a tee time on the weekend.
While the days were bright in Sandwich, England, and with the layout on the soft side and the breezes far from menacing for most of the first two rounds, Louis Oosthuizen led a barrage of red numbers as he’s shot 64-65 to get to 11 under and two shots clear of the field. In all, 52 of the original 156 players are under par; another 35 made it to the third round.
But plenty of players couldn’t overcome the lurking dangers of Royal St. George’s, including the sloping greens, the humpy, bumpy fairways, an assortment of pot bunkers and lush, thick fescue and rough. The cut came at 1-over 141 – the lowest in the championship’s history since 1898. The previous low was 143, which occurred nine times, the most recent being in 2019 at Royal Portrush.
Here are some notables heading home.