We’ve reached the halfway mark of the 2024 Scottish Open as a reduced field take to the course ahead of Saturday’s play.
Paul Reidypaulreidy67Update: Jul 12th, 2024 15:34 EDT
ANDREW REDINGTONAFP
Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg holds a one-shot lead at the Scottish Open after Friday’s play and is clear of the field with a tournament score of 12-under-par with defending champion Rory McIlroy just three shots off the pace.
Aberg delivered the best 36-hole score (128) of his career with back-to-back rounds of 64 to establish the scoring record through two rounds at The Renaissance Club in events when par is 70.
He entered the clubhouse early with a one-shot lead over France’s Antoine Rozner (11 under) and wrapped his 36th hole before McIlroy was fully into his second 18 on Friday.
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Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts at the Genesis Scottish OpenOCTAVIO PASSOSGetty Images
“There’s, what, 150-something players in the field? No one is going to play perfect golf for 72 holes,” Aberg said Friday. “I think it’s going to happen to everyone at some point, and whenever that happens, you’ve just got to try to deal with it the best you can, and all I can do is try to put good swings on it, and then hopefully the decision that we’ve made is the right one and try to hit it again when we find it.”
Weather has been a rare non-factor in North Berwick, Scotland, with pleasant temperatures and wind speeds barely noticeable at less than 10 mph.
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First-round leader Justin Thomas dropped well off the pace with a 72 in the second round, 10 shots worse than his round on Thursday.
With an eagle at the par-5 third hole and four birdies Friday, Rozner enters the weekend contending for his sixth professional tournament win and first since the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in 2022. He’s also trying to qualify for the Open Championship next week.
⚠️ TRANSPORT UPDATE: If you are travelling by rail or bus after play, today or this weekend, please note there are Scotrail service cancellations from Longniddry, with additional Lothian Buses in operation. Please check Scotrail timetables and Lothian Buses timetablesScotrail… pic.twitter.com/fbw568OB3e
— Genesis Scottish Open (@ScottishOpen) July 12, 2024
Sweden’s Alex Noren bogeyed 17 to fall back of Im and Manassero with two U.S. golfers, Sahith Theegala and Morikawa, Rory McIlroy, Denmark’s Rasmus Hojgaard and Spain’s Alejandro Del Rey. Del Rey posted a 62 in the second round with birdies on his first six holes.
Hojgaard enters the weekend with a one-shot advantage over his brother, Nicolai Hojgaard, who sits at 8 under and earned a spot in The Open Championship at this event last year.
Adam Scott, who missed the cut last year, followed a first-round 67 with a 65 on Friday, tallying 13 birdies in his first 36 holes.
“I didn’t play well today but somehow I still managed to make some birdies. So putter must have been performing quite nicely but we’ve had ideal conditions,” Scott said. “So although pins were a bit more tucked today, it was a good day for the putter to roll a few in and I’m hanging in there.”
