Jordan Spieth

Jordan Spieth kept himself in contention at the British Open on Saturday, as the American shot a two-under-par round of 69 at Royal Portrush Golf Club. 

The round takes Spieth to seven under for the tournament, and while he is not completely out of contention, the 2017 champion would have been disappointed at letting chances slip by in what were favourable scoring conditions in the afternoon.

At the top of the leaderboard, the likes of Shane Lowry and Tommy Fleetwood were able to pick up birdies consistently, meaning Spieth will have a lot of ground to make up on Sunday.

In the early stages of his round, the three-time major winner appeared set to shoot a low score, as he quickly found his groove. Spieth almost made an eagle when his putt at the second from the fairway lipped out, although he left himself a tap-in birdie.

Spieth would have been thinking it was his day at the third, as he got a lucky bounce to set up another birdie:

.@JordanSpieth with a bit of luck at 3 #TheOpen

Live coverage 👉 https://t.co/V5gkRJCUkC pic.twitter.com/b3Se2faOEV

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 20, 2019

After nailing his putt, Spieth was just one back on the overnight leaders, and those players at the top of the leaderboard would have been a little anxious about his early charge. However, he failed to build any trademark momentum.

A bogey at the sixth was the first blemish on Spieth's card, taking him back to six under for the tournament. He would have been equally disappointed only to take par at the par-five seventh, having missed a short putt to bounce back immediately.

Some more loose play at the ninth saw Spieth reach the turn back on level par, with the terrific early work undone. After another bogey at 11, the prospect of his round fizzling out was real. The Spieth Tracker account noted how challenging things had become: 

Misses a 8 ft par putt at 11. It’s another bogey. Things are not going well. #TheOpen

— Spieth Tracker (@Spieth_Tracker) July 20, 2019

Per Dave Ross, attentions were drifting away from the 25-year-old and to other contenders: 

This is the part of the telecast where I worry that Jordan Spieth has just left the golf course because we haven’t seen him in 2 hours #TheOpen #RoyalPortrush pic.twitter.com/f0lhwERy1T

— Dave Ross (@drosssports) July 20, 2019

However, Spieth was able to dig deep and rediscovered some brilliant form. At the next hole, he was back to five under with a birdie, before some excellent scrambling saw him take par from a tough position at the 13th.

Another clutch putt at 14 added to the positive impetus being built, and Spieth was able to hammer in a typical mid-range birdie putt to get back to six under at the next.

A solid par followed at the 16th, and at the 17th, he produced his best approach of the day. Spieth nailed his iron shot to within five feet, and with his putter now red-hot, he rolled in his third birdie in six holes.

Hopes of another at the 18th were ended after Spieth's second shot left a long putt, although the American tidied up well to make par.

With wind and rain forecast for Sunday, there is a chance for major movement on the leaderboard. As such, Spieth will be pleased that he has at least been able to remain in the hunt, albeit his chances are slender with one round left to play.

Could there be a surprise winner at this year's British Open? At the halfway point, it seemed possible.

J.B. Holmes and Shane Lowry were tied atop the leaderboard at eight under par entering Saturday's third round, and neither were among the favorites to capture the championship entering the tournament. Among the leaders early in the third round were other surprise contenders such as Tommy Fleetwood, Lee Westwood and more.

Big names such as Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson missed the cut, and it's possible that any golfer near the top of the standings could break out and win the title after Sunday's final round.

The live leaderboard can be found at TheOpen.com.

Golfers to Watch

While seven golfers were within two strokes of the lead entering the third round of play, it was two who were three strokes back who may have had the best chance of ascending the leaderboard and contending for the championship at this year's British Open.

After winning four major championships since the start of 2017, Brooks Koepka sat at five under par after shooting a 68 and a 69 in the first two rounds of the tournament, respectively. And he knew what he needed to do to play even better in the final two rounds.

"I haven't made a putt all week," Koepka said, according to PGATour.com's Sean Martin. "I just need to figure that out. If I can make some putts I could very easily be 10 under, and really maybe more."

Spieth struggled with his drives, but he putted well while shooting a 67 in Friday's second round. That was a big improvement from his opening round on Thursday, and the three-time majors champion has the potential to play even better moving forward.

"I'm in contention. I feel good," Spieth said, according to ESPN.com. "I feel like if I can continue to improve each day, hit the ball better tomorrow than I did today, and better on Sunday than Saturday, then I should have a chance with how I feel on and around the greens."

Spieth is looking to win The Open championship for the second time after previously winning it in 2017, while Koepka has never finished higher than sixth in the tournament.

While Koepka and Spieth were two of the more recognizable names in contention at the midway point of the British Open, there were many others who could battle for the title by the time the final round starts on Sunday.

Holmes, one of the early surprises in the tournament, was excited to be in contention at the halfway point.

"You can have that great round and that day where everything goes right. But it's nice to get two rounds in a row," Holmes said, according to ESPN.com. "It shows a little consistency. And two days in a row I've hit the ball really well and putted well."

So, who will rise to the top and eventually be the one lifting the Claret Jug by the time the tournament ends on Sunday? Many golfers had reasonable hope that it could be them, but Koepka's and Spieth's past experiences may have given that duo the advantage over their competitors.

The players already out on course for the third round of the British Open have shown us there are low scores out there at the Dunluce Course at Royal Portrush Golf Club.

Co-leaders J.B. Holmes and Shane Lowry are set to tee off at 10:50 a.m. ET. No one out of the early groups has been able to threaten their marks of eight-under.

But there are a few golfers aiming to land in the top 10 before they walk into the clubhouse and wait out the rounds of the leaders to see where they stand for Sunday.

Sang Hyun Park, Xander Schauffele and Webb Simpson have started well to move to four-under, while Patrick Cantlay is among a swelling group of players five shots back of the leaders.

                   

British Open Leaderboard

Update as of 9:45 a.m. ET. 

J.B. Holmes (-8) 

Shane Lowry (-8) 

Tommy Fleetwood (-7) 

Lee Westwood (-7) 

Cameron Smith (-6) 

Justin Harding (-6) 

Justin Rose (-6) 

Full leaderboard can be found on TheOpen.com.

                  

Holmes, Lowry and the rest of the players on the front page of the leaderboard should be able to achieve some success when they hit the links.

The weather for Saturday afternoon in Northern Ireland looks promising, as it is supposed to be partly sunny with minimal winds, per AccuWeather.

The two golfers in first place have been consistent through 36 holes, with Holmes and Lowry both recording 11 birdies, three bogeys and 22 pars.

Of the players in the lead and within two shots of first place, only Justin Rose has a major title on his resume.

If you look further down the leaderboard, Brooks Koepka and Jordan Spieth at five-under could bank on their experience to make a run on moving day.

The lowest score of the third round is 68, which was recorded by Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, who moved up to two-under with his strong round in front of the home crowd.

McDowell finished Saturday with consecutive birdies at No. 17 and No. 18.

You definitely got it all @Graeme_McDowell #TheOpen

Live coverage 👉 https://t.co/V5gkRJCUkC pic.twitter.com/o0bIYEJbcu

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 20, 2019

Park has moved to within four shots of the lead by recording birdies on three of the first five holes of his round.

The South Korean shot 69 and 72 on the first two days of the tournament, so he should be able to keep up that consistency to remain in the top 15 or 20 places, depending on what the other golfers produce.

Early birdies from Schauffele, Simpson and Henrik Stenson tied them with Park four strokes behind Holmes and Lowry.

Ernie Els, who has two titles at The Open, kicked off his round with birdies at No. 2 and No. 3 before giving back two shots through a pair of bogeys.

Lucas Glover reeled off three birdies in his first four holes, but he also dropped back down the leaderboard with two bogeys.

Danny Willett, the 2016 winner at The Masters, is part of the collection of players at three-under thanks to birdies at No. 3 and No. 5.

If any of the golfers from the large group five shots back can keep up the low rounds into the back nine, they could land in one of the final tee times for Sunday.

Those scores could also prove to be an example for Holmes, Lowry and Co. as to how many strokes they can gain when they hit the links at Royal Portrush.

                          

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Shane Lowry and J.B. Holmes lead the Open at the halfway point, with both players surging to eight-under par after two days at Royal Portrush.

Lowry continued his excellent form in Northern Ireland on Friday with a second consecutive 67. That was enough to put him level with Holmes, who backed up a fine 66 on Thursday with a 68 on Day 2.

The leaders have some high-class players in hot pursuit, with English duo Tommy Fleetwood and Lee Westwood just a shot back. Brooks Koepka, who has won three of the previous six major championships, is just three off the lead, as is 2017 winner Jordan Spieth.

Here are the tee times for Saturday's play and a preview of what's to come from Royal Portrush

        

Selected Tee Times (GMT)

3:10 p.m. - Andrew Putnam (-5), Jordan Spieth (-5)

3:20 p.m. - Brooks Koepka (-5) , Justin Rose (-6)

3:30 p.m. - Justin Harding (-6), Cameron Smith (-6)

3:40 p.m. - Lee Westwood (-7), Tommy Fleetwood (-7)

3:50 p.m. - Shane Lowry (-8) , J.B. Holmes (-8)

    

The tee times in full are available on the Open website

    

Saturday Preview

With the likes of Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson missing the cut, some big names have already fallen victim to the testing challenge posed by the Portrush course. Holmes and Lowry have been able to excel in the conditions, though, in the hunt for their maiden major championship.

Lowry has been the most consistent player over the course of the first two days. He produced another four-under-par round on Friday, ensuring he goes out in the final pair on Moving Day.

He's enjoying the support from the crowds:

☘️ @TheOpen crowds have been amazing.

I am looking forward to the weekend now. pic.twitter.com/qf6HLwtczi

— Shane Lowry (@ShaneLowryGolf) July 19, 2019

Lowry also said he's allowing himself to consider the prospect of lifting the Claret Jug come Sunday evening, per BBC Sport: "I'm obviously going to be thinking about it tonight. There's no point in shying away from it. I'm in a great position but, my goodness, have we got a long way to go."

Like Lowry, Holmes is also on the hunt for an elusive first major, with his best-ever finish in one of the four events a third-place finish at the Open in 2016.

As golf statistician Jason Sobel noted, he was still a long way off then:

J.B. Holmes' best finish in The Open: Solo third in 2016. Pretty good, right? Yup... but he still lost by 14.

— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelGolf) July 19, 2019

Fleetwood and Westwood will also be players to watch over the weekend after bright starts to the competition.

The former has played like a major-winner-in-waiting in recent years, having excelled in bursts at various high-profile competitions and at the Ryder Cup last summer for Europe. Westwood is a surprise name at the top of the leaderboard because the 46-year-old has long been considered past his peak.

Per Steve Douglas of the Press Association, Westwood isn't in particularly determined mood ahead of the final two days despite his lofty position:

Lee Westwood just now on his chances of winning #theopen :

"I literally don't care anymore."

— Steve Douglas (@sdouglas80) July 19, 2019

One of the pairs set to be the most popular is the duo of Koepka and Justin Rose, as they'll be expected to close the gap to the leaders on Saturday.

The latter has said he's relishing the pressure of being one of the main contenders for the title:

So many athletes get asked the "weight of expectation" question. Not sure I've ever heard an answer quite like Justin Rose's at #theOpen pic.twitter.com/yPAKOVYztw

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) July 19, 2019

Even at three behind, Koepka will still be the favourite for many, such is his pedigree on the big stage. Given he's finished no worse than tied second in five of the last six majors, he'll surely be in the hunt when the shadows lengthen on Sunday.

There will also be a focus on Spieth on Day 3, as he's showcased signs of returning to his best form over the first couple of rounds. Having won the Open beforehand, the American will be tough to dislodge if he gets among the leaders.

  

Day 3 Leaderboard Prediction: J.B. Holmes (-9), Justin Rose (-9), Brooks Koepka (-8), Tommy Fleetwood (-8)

Shane Lowry and J.B. Holmes took control of the British Open leaderboard during Friday's second round.

Lowry was at 10-under after he put together a blazing start on the front nine. However, the Irishman was part of the afternoon wave of golfers and had to deal with some nasty weather, so his score dropped to eight-under.

J.B. Holmes is the leader in the clubhouse at eight-under after carding a second-round 68 out of the groups that hit the Dunluce Course during the morning in Northern Ireland.

Tommy Fleetwood and Lee Westwood landed one shot beneath Holmes, while Cameron Smith, Justin Harding and Justin Rose finished at six-under.

On the opposite end of the leaderboard sit Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy, who were among the notable names who didn't make the cut.

                       

British Open Leaderboard 

Shane Lowry (-8) 

J.B. Holmes (-8) 

Tommy Fleetwood (-7) 

Lee Westwood (-7) 

Cameron Smith (-6) 

Justin Rose (-6) 

Justin Harding (-6) 

Brooks Koepka (-5) 

Jordan Spieth (-5) 

Dylan Frittelli (-5)

Andrew Putnam (-5)

                 

Lowry began his round with a birdie on the first hole and proceeded to make five more on the next nine holes.

The Irishman's terrific start followed up a four-under 67 that left him one shot back of the lead after 18 holes.

The putt and the smile. Lowry leads The Open by 2 #TheOpen

Live coverage 👉 https://t.co/V5gkRJCUkC pic.twitter.com/NoQpDFv1n0

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 19, 2019

Lowry has the ability to create a good amount of separation at the top of the leaderboard on Day 3 since he is one of the few players with a low overall score.

Holmes, who led the tournament after 18 holes, improved his overall score by three strokes to put himself in a terrific position ahead of the weekend rounds.

The 37-year-old from Kentucky opened with three birdies in his first six holes and then birdied two more holes on the back nine. Holmes carded bogeys at No. 9 and No. 14 to drop his second-round score to a three-under 68.

Holmes has two previous top-10 finishes at majors, including a third-placed mark at The Open in 2016 at Royal Troon.

Tommy Fleetwood and Lee Westwood both recorded four-under 67s to surge up the leaderboard into a tie for third place.

Fleetwood finished in a tie for 12th at The Open a year ago, but since then, he has not had a ton of luck in majors, with his best finish this season a tie for 36th at The Masters.

The best bits from @TommyFleetwood1's second round 67 👇#TheOpen

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 19, 2019

The 46-year-old Westwood was last in contention for a major title at Augusta in 2016, when he earned a tie for second.

Westwood has landed in the top five at 11 majors, but the Grand Slam title has eluded him throughout his career.

Back-to-back birdies for @WestwoodLee moves him to within one of the lead #TheOpen

Live coverage 👉 https://t.co/V5gkRJCUkC pic.twitter.com/bynFynLjU8

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 19, 2019

The group at six-under for the tournament recorded some of the best rounds on course, with Justin Harding tied for the best Friday score at 65.

Harding used a surge on the back nine to climb into the top 10, birdying five holes from No. 10 to No. 16.

Smith used some of the same holes as the catalyst for his second-round leap. From No. 7 to No. 13, Smith carded five birdies.

Rose benefited from an eagle on the par-five 12th hole to join Smith and Harding at six-under. The Englishman picked up three birdies on the front nine and recorded eight pars in addition to his eagle on the back nine.

Brooks Koepka and Jordan Spieth are within striking distance of the lead at five-under. Koepka shot a two-under 69 Friday, while Spieth made a bigger surge up the standings through a four-under 67.

But a lot of focus after the round was centered on the players the wrong side of the cut line.

McIlroy, who shot a disastrous 79 on Thursday, put in a heroic effort, carding seven birdies as part of a joint-best round of 65. But it wasn't enough, with the Northern Irishman missing the cut by one stroke.

Mickelson and Woods are also heading home together from Royal Portrush; Woods finished at six-over, while Mickelson carded eight-over.

According to ESPN's Bob Harig, it was the first time in 83 majors that both Mickelson and Woods have played in that they missed the cut.

Tiger and Phil both headed toward missed cuts. This is the 83rd major in which both have played, and never before have both missed the cut. #TheOpen

— Bob Harig (@BobHarig) July 19, 2019

Both Adam Scott and U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland were also cut.

                       

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from PGATour.com and TheOpen.com.

Jordan Spieth had a decent showing in Thursday's first round of The Open Championship. And on Friday, the 25-year-old, three-time major winner ascended the leaderboard.

Spieth was one of the bright spots from Friday's early action at the Dunluce Course at Royal Portrush Golf Club. After shooting one under par in the first round, Spieth followed up with a four-under-par round that featured three birdies and an eagle.

The full leaderboard can be found on TheOpen.com. Here's a look at some golfers who had strong showings among the early groups, along with some who are teeing off in the later groups.

                        

Early Risers

Spieth wasn't the only golfer to move up the leaderboard with a strong second round among the early groups.

JB Holmes led the field after shooting a five-under-par 66 in the first round. He was still atop the leaderboard when he completed his second round, moving to eight under par by shooting a three-under 68.

"You just have to accept the conditions over here and not get too greedy," Holmes said after Thursday's first round, according to ESPN.

Cameron Smith and Justin Harding were both at six under par and near the top of the leaderboard when they finished their second rounds. That came after Smith was one under par and Harding was at par following the first round.

Tommy Fleetwood was also close to the leaders as the early groups finished play, as he moved to seven under par after shooting a four-under 67.

Tied with Spieth at five under par, Brooks Koepka, who has won four majors since the start of 2017, was frustrated after shooting a two-under 69, yet he remains within striking distance at the halfway point.

"If I can just make some putts, I could have very easily been 10-under and maybe more," Koepka said, according to AFP's Jed Court (h/t Yahoo). "I've just got to figure it out this afternoon. ... Sometimes I felt like I hit good putts and they just didn't go in, and other times it was just terrible putts."

Late Starters

After a disastrous first round Thursday, Rory McIlroy will look for better results after he tees off at 10:10 a.m. ET/3:10 p.m. BST alongside with Gary Woodland and Paul Casey. McIlroy was eight over par after the first round.

"It was obviously a disappointing day," McIlroy said, according to ESPN's Bob Harig. "I didn't put it in the fairway enough to play."

It's going to take a remarkable second round from McIlroy to get himself back into the mix, but perhaps that could happen for the former British Open champion.

After winning the U.S. Open in June, Woodland also got off to a slow start at the British Open, as he sat three over par after the first round.

Another golfer to watch in the late action is Rickie Fowler, who shot one under par in the first round. His tee time is 10:21 a.m. ET/3:21 p.m. BST in a group that also featured Kevin Kisner and Hideki Matsuyama. Much like Spieth moved up the leaderboard in the second round, Fowler could do the same as he seeks his first major championship.

Prom Meesawat, Matthew Baldwin and Jack Senior comprise the final group to tee off and will go at 11:16 a.m. ET/4:16 p.m. BST.

Jordan Spieth propelled himself into contention at the 2019 British Open on Friday as he shot a four-under 67 at Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland, in his second round.  

The 25-year-old took full advantage of benign conditions on the front nine as he carded an eagle and three birdies in a four-hole run from the fifth.

The back nine required a great deal more scrapping as Spieth lost his radar off the tee.

But he eventually came home in 35 and was well placed four shots behind leader JB Holmes when he finished his second round. 

Spieth's opening holes were solid if unspectacular as he carded four consecutive pars to remain one under par.

On the fifth, the 2017 Open champion started his surge, draining a 10-foot putt for birdie.

The putter stayed hot on the par-three sixth, holing another 10-footer after a solid drive.

Two superb shots at the par-five seventh then put him pin-high with a chance at eagle. And he produced his best putt of the day to get to five under, his breaking effort finding the middle of the hole: 

Jordan Spieth's last three holes. 👀

Birdie.
Birdie.
EAGLE.

He's now -5 and one shot back. pic.twitter.com/jxVO8fBFrG

— Today's Golfer (@TheTodaysGolfer) July 19, 2019

By the eighth, Spieth was walking them in. Almost before he struck his 20-foot birdie effort, he was already at six under.

A greenside bunker at the ninth stopped the American's march, and he dropped a shot before the turn after he was only able to get down in three from the sand.

At the 10th, Spieth showed the first signs of waywardness off the tee when he slashed right.

But he scrambled well to save par before walking in another fine putt at the par-five 12th for another birdie.

The final six to home were something of a struggle, and Spieth did well to drop just one shot in that run when he was punished for a bad drive at 14.

He had got up and down from a bunker at the par-three 13th and was forced to do similar at the 15th. 

Spieth's powers of recovery then came to the fore after ragged drives at 16 and 17:

Oh my gosh. He has been amazing from the rough today. INCREDIBLE recovery. 12 feet for birdie coming up. 👀 #TheOpen

— Spieth Tracker (@Spieth_Tracker) July 19, 2019

He finally found the fairway again at 18 and had a shot at a closing birdie.

It slid just wide, but after an eventful back nine, Spieth is in contention going into the weekend. 

For the first five holes on Thursday, it looked like Jordan Spieth might set the Royal Portrush golf course on fire with his red-hot play. 

He cooled off considerably after that, however, starting his Open Championship with a one-under 71 in the first round of play. 

That left Spieth four strokes behind JB Holmes, who at the time of publication was atop the leaderboard at five-under.

He shot up the leaderboard early with birdies on the second, third and fifth holes. For a moment, it looked like the Spieth of old had descended upon Royal Portrush:

But a double bogey on the eighth and a bogey on the 11th erased all of his early success. 

He finished with six pars and a birdie on the 12th from there, however, stabilizing his round and keeping himself within striking distance of the leaders.

Spieth hit 42.8 percent of fairways, 66.6 percent of greens in regulation and averaged 1.6 putts per hole, according to TheOpen.com.

All in all, Thursday's round was a solid performance from Spieth. He didn't play himself out of contention like other big names. Rory McIlroy, for instance, shot a shocking 79. Tiger Woods found himself at 6-over par after 13 holes. Phil Mickelson finished with a 76.

Spieth has had a tough season. He has yet to register a win, and while he has three top-10 finishes, his 21st-place showing at The Masters was a disappointment. His last major win came at Royal Birkdale in the 2017 Open Championship. 

It appeared the 25-year-old Spieth was on a legendary trajectory after winning both the Masters and U.S. Open in 2015, though he's come back down to earth in recent seasons. In some ways, his showing on Thursday reflected that trend. 

But Spieth is still oozing with talent, and nobody would be surprised if he took over this year's Open Championship in the next three days. He'll have a few things to clean up, but Spieth is in position to be a threat. That's always a danger to the rest of the field. 

The afternoon wave of players is starting to make noise on the front page of the British Open leaderboard. 

Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, Tommy Fleetwood and others are looking to challenge the leading mark set by Shane Lowry, who finished with a four-under 67 from the morning session at Royal Portrush Golf Club in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.

Lowry currently holds a one-shot advantage over six golfers, but the group at three-under could grow larger if the golfers on course are able to thrive in opportune conditions. 

In addition to Spieth, Fleetwood and Koepka, Tiger Woods, Justin Rose and Dustin Johnson are among the high-profile players out on course. 

Woods, Rose and Johnson have plenty of holes remaining in their respective rounds since they were part of the final batch of tee times. 

                         

The Open Leaderboard

Shane Lowry (-4) 

Alex Noren (-3) 

Webb Simpson (-3) 

Sergio Garcia (-3) 

Dylan Frittelli (-3) 

Robert MacIntyre (-3) 

Kiradech Aphibarnrat (-3) 

Full leaderboard can be found on TheOpen.com.

                  

Spieth's quest to end his two-year major drought at Royal Portrush started off well with a trio of birdies through the opening six holes. 

The three-time major champion opened with a par and then picked up birdies at No. 2 and No. 3, as well as No. 5. 

Walking it in 🏃‍♂️

2017 champ @JordanSpieth is 3-under through five at #TheOpen pic.twitter.com/rWgFzsbFE5

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) July 18, 2019

Unfortunately, Spieth suffered a setback at No. 8, where he recorded a double bogey and dropped to three shots behind Lowry. 

The opening set of birdies for Spieth was promising for his title credentials after he experienced some up-and-down results at the season's first three majors. 

The 25-year-old tied for third at the PGA Championship, finished in a tie for 21st at The Masters and disappointed in a tie for 65th at the U.S. Open. 

If you take away the rough result at the U.S. Open, Spieth has been playing well of late with top-10 finishes at the Charles Schwab Challenge and The Memorial in addition to his bronze at the PGA Championship.

Koepka and Fleetwood are currently around Spieth in the standings, and they have put in some impressive results on the front nine, as the conditions turn from rain to sunshine in Northern Ireland. 

Fleetwood made the turn at two-under thanks to birdies at the par-three third and par-five seventh, while Koepka produced birdies at No. 2 and No. 5. 

The key for Spieth, Fleetwood, Koepka and others is to remain consistent while trying to take advantage of certain holes.

As long as they all avoid a slew of bogeys, they will have a chance to go after Lowry's low round on the back nine and create some separation during the Friday morning session. 

Rory Sabbatini and Erik Van Rooyen also crept up the leaderboard and have a chance to make a surge on the back nine. 

Sabbatini started his second nine with two consecutive birdies, while Van Rooyen ended the front nine with a birdie and added another at No. 11.

There is also a chance that some of the golfers just beginning their respective rounds make a run into the top 10.

Justin Rose began his round with a birdie at the par-four first hole, while Ernie Els and J.B. Holmes also started on the front foot. 

However, not all of the best players in the world have found success at Royal Portrush, with Rory McIlroy being the most notable of them.

Here's Rory McIlroy's absolutely brutal three-putt for double bogey from close range at 16.

Don't try this at home. #TheOpen pic.twitter.com/Mk5bCI8Kyc

— Golf Central (@GolfCentral) July 18, 2019

McIlroy shot an eight-over 79 in a round that was bookended by a quadruple bogey at No. 1 and a triple bogey at No. 18. 

Phil Mickelson struggled and shot a five-over 76, while Adam Scott sits one shot above McIlroy after a seven-over 78.

                                        

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from PGATour.com and TheOpen.com             

Shane Lowry entered The Open Championship with four consecutive missed cuts at the tournament.

On Thursday, the Irishman started to put his bad form at the major to rest with a four-under 67 that placed him on top of the leaderboard at the Dunluce Course at Royal Portrush Golf Club.

Lowry leads a group of seven players by one shot, while three others are two shots behind at two-under.

Rickie Fowler and Brooks Koepka are among the players on course in red numbers attempting to chase down Lowry from the latter set of tee times.

Tiger Woods, Justin Rose, Jason Day and Dustin Johnson are a part of the afternoon wave of tee times in Northern Ireland.

                      

The Open Leaderboard

Shane Lowry (-4)

Alex Noren (-3)

Webb Simpson (-3)

Sergio Garcia (-3)

Dylan Frittelli (-3)

Robert MacIntyre (-3)

Kiradech Aphibarnrat (-3)

Jordan Spieth (-3)

Full leaderboard can be found on TheOpen.com.

                         

Although Lowry has had not the best luck at The Open in recent years, he did come into the tournament off a solid string of results.

After missing the cut at The Masters, Lowry put together a trio of top-10 performances, including a tie for eighth at the PGA Championship.

Lowry also landed in a tie for second at the RBC Canadian Open and shot a pair of 69s at Pebble Beach to earn a top-30 finish at the U.S. Open in June.

The 32-year-old recorded two birdies in his first five holes at Royal Portrush and added birdies at No. 9, No. 10 and No. 12 to earn the title of early leader.

Our current leader @ShaneLowryGolf🏌️‍♂️#TheOpen pic.twitter.com/rgr3tn7rTU

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 18, 2019

Lowry's lone hiccup was a bogey at No. 11, but other than that, he played a consistent round of golf, which is what most golfers are searching for at a tournament where conditions can change in a heartbeat since most of the courses are near the coast.

Webb Simpson and Sergio Garcia are the two previous major champions one shot back of Lowry.

Simpson, who won the 2012 U.S. Open, used a run of five birdies from No. 7 to No. 12 to make his mark on the leaderboard.

Unfortunately, the American slipped up at the end of his round, recording a bogey on each of the final two holes.

Garcia, the 2017 champion at The Masters, took advantage of the middle holes on the course with four birdies in a six-hole stretch. He also carded bogey on one of those holes.

The Spaniard's place near the top of the leaderboard is a bit surprising given his dreadful major form since he put on the green jacket.

The 39-year-old Spaniard missed the cut at seven straight majors before earning a tie for 52nd at the U.S. Open.

Among the less notable names one shot back of Lowry is Scotland's Robert MacIntyre, who has one victory to his name from the Middle East North Africa Tour, as Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press noted:

https://twitter.com/dougferguson405/status/1151834665113804800

MacIntyre had one of the more up-and-down rounds of the low scorers, as he had five birdies, four bogeys and an eagle at the par-four fifth.

Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat joined the collection of golfers at three-under with a long birdie putt at the 18th.

From downtown! The Barn Rat rolls in a birdie at 18 for a first-round 68 🙌#TheOpen Live Stream: https://t.co/1JlldxZDYw pic.twitter.com/2ZPAwLaV5h

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) July 18, 2019

Aphibarnrat put in an opposite round compared to MacIntyre, with 15 pars and three birdies.

Not all of the players from the early tee times achieved success Thursday, especially the golfers playing on home soil.

Rory McIlroy experienced a disastrous start, carding a quadruple-bogey at the first hole. He was at three-over through 14 holes.

Graeme McDowell was putting together a solid round, but he stumbled to the finish with two bogeys and a triple-bogey at No. 18.

Of the players on the course, Jordan Spieth is one shot back of Lowry through five holes, while Koepka is two back of the leader after six.

Woods tees off at 10:10 a.m. ET alongside Matt Wallace and Patrick Reed. Jon Rahm, Patrick Cantlay and Matt Kuchar follow him at the first tee at 10:21 a.m. ET.

                              

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90. Statistics obtained from PGATour.com and TheOpen.com.