Tommy Fleetwood tees up golden chance of Open glory

Tommy Fleetwood is the course-record holder at Carnoustie, has a better scoring average at the track in the Dunhill Links Championship than anyone else, and the Southport man made hay on the famous Angus links again in round two of the Open to set up a golden chance of Major glory.

Fleetwood carded a bogey-free 65 to charge up the leaderboard, making birdie at the 18th hole to finish the day five under par for the tournament, in an excellent position to have a serious crack at claiming the Claret Jug.

Fleetwood, who finished second in the US Open at Shinnecock Hills a month ago, started the Open at 22-1, but he heads into the weekend at around the 6-1 mark, having found his A-game on a layout he loves. A Major breakthrough could be coming at the age of 27.

Steve Palmer's reflections on day two at Carnoustie

Steve Palmer's reflections on day one at Carnoustie

Kevin Kisner, the ante-post 250-1 rag who led after round one, stayed in the hunt, the American raider finishing six under par, warming to the same task Fleetwood faces of winning a first Major. Kisner found water with his approach to the 18th, dropping two shots, but the two-time US Tour champion had a share of the lead as he headed to the clubhouse.

There has been a significant draw bias over the first two days and several big names suffered enough on the worst side of it to mean they will not be at Carnoustie for the weekend. Those who teed up late in round one were in the strongest of the winds, then they were forced to battle through heavy rain on the second morning.

World number one Dustin Johnson was the biggest name to feel the halfway axe. The pre-tournament 12-1 favourite made a mess of the 18th hole for the second day running, closing his round bogey, double-bogey to finish six over par.

Dual Masters champion Bubba Watson was on the same score as Johnson after 36 holes, packing his bags early, while Justin Thomas, Sergio Garcia, Hideki Matsuyama and local hero Russell Knox all ended up at four over par, also missing the cut.

Thomas was among the tournament favourites after a first-round 69, but a hapless stretch of golf from the sixth hole to the eighth in round two destroyed the title hopes of the world number two. Thomas carded seven, six, five – three consecutive double-bogeys – dropping six shots in three miserable holes.

Fleetwood handled the morning gloom superbly, while dual Major champion Zach Johnson also kept his composure in the Scottish rain. Johnson, Open champion at St Andrews in 2015 and winless anywhere since, followed a 69 with a 67 to sit alongside Kisner at six under par with 36 holes to play.

Another former Open champion left Carnoustie with his tail up - Rory McIlroy shot 69 for the second day running and the four-time Major victor was lurking dangerously just off the pace. The Northern Irishman, who has shortened from 20-1 to 7-1, told reporters he was going to be attacking over the weekend and looks in determined mood as he bids to win his first Major in almost four years.

Tiger Woods, like McIlroy working from the worst side of the draw, battled to his second 71 of the week and needs weekend fireworks if he is to end his ten-year Major victory drought.

Backers of Jon Rahm, Justin Rose or Rickie Fowler could have no excuses – that trio played together from the perfect set of tee-times – but Fowler was the only one who took advantage of the favourable weather.

Rahm dropped six shots in three holes from the seventh through the ninth and missed the cut, while Rose failed to make a birdie on the front nine and scraped into the weekend by a shot. Fowler is three under par, sharing 11th spot.

Straightforward scoring conditions are expected for round three, with cool, cloudy but clear weather in the morning, then sunshine and light breezes in the afternoon. Sunday should be slightly warmer and slightly windier.

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