Shane Lowry and J.B. Holmes sit at 8-under par through two rounds to share a one-shot lead at the Open Championship.
Holmes set the pace early on Friday at Royal Portrush with a 3-under 68 to back up his 66 from Day 1 and extend his first-round lead.
Later, the Irishman Lowry stormed past Holmes with six birdies through 10 holes, but he dropped two shots down the stretch to settle for a share of the top spot.
A pair of Englishmen, Tommy Fleetwood and 46-year-old Lee Westwood, share third place at 7-under par.
All four players are looking for their first career major title, and Westwood would become the oldest first-time major winner ever if he can hoist the Claret Jug on Sunday.
Here's how the top of the leaderboard looks after Round 2:
| Place | Player | To Par | R2 Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | J.B. Holmes | -8 | 68 |
| T1 | Shane Lowry | -8 | 67 |
| T3 | Tommy Fleewood | -7 | 67 |
| T3 | Lee Westwood | -7 | 67 |
| T5 | Cameron Smith | -6 | 66 |
| T5 | Justin Harding | -6 | 65 |
| T5 | Justin Rose | -6 | 67 |
| T8 | Brooks Koepka | -5 | 69 |
| T8 | Jordan Spieth | -5 | 67 |
| T8 | Andrew Putnam | -5 | 67 |
| T8 | Dylan Frittelli | -5 | 69 |
Notables Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka, and Jordan Spieth are well-positioned for a run over the weekend. Rose is three back of the lead - the best of the group - with Koepka and Spieth following closely behind.
After a disastrous opening-round 79, Rory McIlroy battled his way back to within one shot of the 1-over cutline on Friday. He shot a day-low 6-under 65, but McIlroy couldn't birdie his final hole to solidify his spot for the weekend.
Tiger Woods (6-over) and Phil Mickelson (8-over) are also bowing out of the Open Championship early. It's the first time in the 83 majors they've played together that neither made the cut.