Sealed with a kiss
Lee Westwood heads the British charge at one off the pace At 46, Englishman would be oldest first-time major winner Irishman Shane Lowry shares the lead at eight under
The three biggest names in English golf at the moment are Tommy Fleetwood, Lee Westwood and Justin Rose and, rather thrillingly for a country looking to end its 27-year Claret Jug void, they also happen to be the top three Englishmen on this leaderboard at the halfway point of the 148th Open Championship.
And while Shane Lowry is convincing the huge crowds they could soon be celebrating an Irish winner as Royal Portrush proudly hosts its first major in 68 years, the St George trio are tantalisingly poised, particularly as pre-tournament favourite Rory Mcilroy missed the cut.
At least Mcilroy gave the home support plenty to cheer as he came within one of making the cut on two-over following a 65. The world No 3 was fighting back the tears afterwards and his effort was commendable. But the fact is, his first-round 79 was too much from which to recover.
On eight under after a secondround 67, Lowry is in a share of the lead with the American JB Holmes. Fleetwood and Westwood are next, in a tie for third on seven under following a pair of 67s. Next comes Rose in a group on six under, courtesy of his own 67.
Granted, there is US quality of the likes of world No 1 Brooks Koepka and three-time major champion Jordan Spieth on five under, but this is an alluring scenario for England. It could even inspire a rallying cry of “If not now, then when?”.
There is a definite feel of this being the last whirl for Westwood and with respect to Fleetwood and Rose, both hugely popular characters, a victory for the Worksop man would be the most emotional and the most appreciated.
The CV of Westwood, a former world No 1 and copper-bottomed Ryder Cup hero, has everything but a major. However, it does contain nine top-threes, a record for a nonmajor winner.
Could this be the weekend? On the 10-year anniversary of the Open at Turnberry where he threeputted the last to miss out on a playoff by a shot? What a story it would be, especially as he has his girlfriend, Helen Storey, as his caddie.
The pair sharing a kiss on the 18th green was one of the defining images of a day when once again the weather was as up and down as the drama. Throughout it all, however, Westwood remained serene, regardless of the knowledge that at 46 he would become the oldest first-time winner of a major.
“I’m playing well, I’m relaxed and I literally don’t care,” Westwood said. “I just go out there and have fun. I’m 46 and still competing with these young lads. There’s no pressure on me. If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen.” Certainly, Westwood’s form on the Portrush run-in encourages rich optimism in his overdue candidature. From 16 to 18 represents the toughest three-hole stretch on this links. Westwood has played them in four under so far.
His performance on the 16th, the 236-yard par three played over a chasm, is remarkable. It is called “Calamity Corner” and Tyrrell Hatton, Westwood’s countryman, can testify to its treacherousness after a double bogey that caused him to fall back to three under. Yet as far as Westwood is concerned, it is not “Calamitous” at all.
He has recorded two birdies, yesterday’s coming via an outrageous putt from 60 feet. “That was a tramliner,” Westwood said. “Maybe my experience helps because I avoid the calamity on that hole and hit it to the left rather than to the right. Look, that last three are difficult holes, but I’ve hit good shots on them. This is the kind of course that you can get rewarded for good shots even if it’s on the hardest holes. A good solid day.”
Lowry showed it was possible to beam bright lights through the sudden greyness, birdieing the first three holes and then the fifth as well to join Holmes on eight under. Further birdies on the eighth and 10th took Lowry to 10 under and into a two-shot lead. Portrush responded in rousing style.
It became a case of hanging on and, despite bogeys on the 14th and 18th, Lowry was not at all displeased. Unlike Westwood, the Claret Jug is on his mind.
“I’m obviously going to be thinking about it tonight,” Lowry said. “There’s no point in shying away from it – I’m in a great position.”
With Darren Clarke brutally triple-bogeying the last to miss the cut on three over and Graeme Mcdowell making it on one over, but surely too far behind to launch a realistic challenge, Lowry will command sizeable support. He called his career “a rollercoaster” and that is a true description as he has enjoyed the peaks of winning a World Golf Championship and the lows of taking a four-shot lead into the final round at the 2016 US Open shooting a 76 to finish second.
That experience sent him on a spiral compounded by a missed cut in last year’s Open at Carnoustie. With a comeback win earlier this year in Abu Dhabi and a tie for eighth at the USPGA, he is on his return up the mountain. “I’m in a totally different place now,” he said.
The 2019 Masters feels a long time ago for Tiger Woods. After an opening 78, he put up a fight with a 70 to try to make the cut, but on six over it was never going to be enough.
Woods did not appear to be in as much discomfort with his back as he did on Thursday, but he is plainly nowhere near the rejuvenated 43-year-old who restated his majesty at Augusta in April. “I’m going to take a few weeks off now,” he said. “I just want to be at home.”