The Open Championship: Day Two update from St Andrews

A three-hour early morning delay on day two at The Open saw torrential rain descend on the course at St Andrews, before play could resume.

The first action of play saw South Africa’s Jaco van Zyl birdie a two putter on the opening hole to move to six-over-par, while Marcel Siem, after a superb 60-foot approach putt, missed his tap in for par to go back to one-under-par on the second hole.

Meanwhile, India’s Anirban Lahiri, having already won twice on the European Tour this season also birdied the first to move to a very respectable four-under-par.

Then it was the home favourites who started to make a move. After six holes, Scot Marc Warren had moved to one off the lead at six-under-par, joining compatriot Paul Lawrie, while England’s Danny Willett and Zach Johnson had both surged into a joint-lead one shot ahead, tied with clubhouse leader Dustin Johnson after the early holes.

On the fifth hole, Willet was agonisingly close to making an eagle putt, though did enough to birdie which made him the clear leader on eight-under-par, though he was quickly joined by Johnson. At halfway, Willett regained the lead, moving another shot clear after a terrific 25-foot putt.

By this point, the big guns had entered the fray. At the third hole, Phil Mickelson shot his maiden birdie of the round, to go to three-under-par, while Sweden’s Henrik Stenson (two-under-par) made it three in a row. Paul Casey started respectively with a par-birdie combination to move to three-under-par, while Australian Adam Scott made birdie at hole five to move to three-under-par.

With pre-tournament favourite Jordan Spieth still waiting patiently in the clubhouse at five-under-par with 5/1 odds, Willet (9/1 to win) shot to 10-under-par on the 10th.

Stenson at the fourth, brilliantly saved par to stabilise on two-under-par, and after Willett moved one shot ahead, Johnson drifted after a bogey to drop to seven-under-par.