The ghosts of Royal Liverpool set the halfway cut at 3 over par on Friday, sending a fair portion of the original field away for the weekend’s conclusion. Gone are three of the most recent Open Championship winners: Morikawa, Lowry, and Molinari. Still around are two of the older, recent champions (Johnson and Stenson), which suggests that links golf is less about power and more about patience and guile. The day’s most exciting round of golf concluded with a spectacular eagle at the last hole, while the newest hole at Hoylake was christened with its first Open ace. We’ll begin our Friday installation of Five Things We Learned with that shot from Travis Smyth, who bid farewell to this year’s championship with one, lasting swing.

Hole-in-one on 17!

Travis Smyth with an historic shot at Little Eye. pic.twitter.com/CkgTl2lvtt

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 21, 2023

1. Brian Harman and the round of the day

The history of the Open Championship is rife with players who evolved from no concept of links golf to masters of its nuances. None was more celebrated for this evolution than the 1930 champion, Bobby Jones, who won at Hoylake, on his way to the single-season Grand Slam of golf. Brian Harman finished 26th at Royal Liverpool in his first Open appearance in 2014. We’ll call that Beginner’s Luck, as the portsider proceeded to miss the cut in his next four appearances in the game’s oldest championship. In 2021, a switch flipped, and this Georgia native reached an understanding of the requisite shots and temperament for seaside golf. He finished 19th at Royal St. George’s, and 6th at St. Andrews last year.

Harman turned in the second day’s finest round at Liverpool. After opening with 67, the two-time winner on the PGA Tour signed for birdie on holes two through five to reach eight under par. He then went on a Faldo-esque run of pars, making a dozen consecutive to arrive at the 18th tee in fine fashion. After a marvelous drive that flirted with the OOB corner, Harman launched an iron skyward, and watched it ultimately cease revolving some 15 feet above the hole. With great care, he rolled the ball into the cup to take a five-shot advantage into the weekend.

Prodigious.

Brian Harman signs off with an eagle for a superb 65.

He leads by five shots. pic.twitter.com/a3u2j36SGn

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 21, 2023

2. Another eagle at the last

Defending champion Cameron Smith was on the outside, looking in, with one hole to play. With one, stylish swing of his hybrid, the 2022 winner at St. Andrews moved from over the cut line, to 2 over par. Smith looked for all the world to be done early this week, after a fourth bogey on the day at the lengthy 16th. He carved an iron in close on the 17th, but the world’s best putter inexplicably missed the eight-foot putt. His drive at the last found the fairway, and then came the sort of swing we watched all last year at the home of golf. Smith will have to make up a dozen shots on the current leader over two days, but we won’t count any former winner out.

Exquisite shot by the defending Champion.

Cam Smith will be here on the weekend. pic.twitter.com/tQChBh05vS

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 21, 2023

3. Tommy, Tommy, Tommy …

As intimated yesterday, two of the three first-round leaders went away. Christo Lamprecht did what most amateurs do, which totaled 8 over par on day two. He did make the cut, and is guaranteed the low amateur medal on the week. Emiliano Grillo didn’t drift as far as Lamprecht, but he did struggle to a 74 on day two. He stands at minus-two on the week, in 7th position. The leader who attracted all of our attention overnight is Fairway Jesus, the local lad from an hour up the coastline in Southport, across the river Mersey. Tommy Fleetwood is the Ryder Cup hero, the affable competitor who we all feel is due an Open Championship in this lifetime.

Fleetwood did nothing spectacular on his outward Friday nine. He managed eight pars and a bogey, and looked at any moment to be cast adrift from the competitors. As great champions do, Fleetwood managed his way around Harry Colt’s course with calm and consistency. He posted birdie at 10, bogey at 13, a pair of birdies at 14 and 15, and a third bogey at 16. It was that sort of day for Fleetwood, but it might be the key to his performance this week. When the championship might have slipped away, Fleetwood held firm. He’ll tee off with Harman in Saturday’s final game, and he’ll look to remain near the top, in advance of Sunday’s conclusion.

From 59 feet…

Fist pump from Fleetwood.

Tommy knows the importance of that putt. pic.twitter.com/gZnS89rmR6

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 21, 2023

4. S’up, Sepp?

The fellow who gave us Thursday’s most linksy shot, gave us Friday’s most electrifying run of golf. Sepp Straka, winner two weeks ago at the John Deere Classic, made eight birdies on day two at Royal Liverpool. He opened with a three at the first, and closed with a four at the last. Straka had a double bogey on the third, another birdie at the fifth, and a bogey at the eighth. Beginning with the twelfth hole, the Austrian-turned-Southerner departed the planet Par. He posted four consecutive birdies to the 16th tee, where he got a bid sideways with the driver. His recovery avoided the front-left bunker, and his pitch settled inside eight feet. His par putt went adrift, and he made his second bogey of the round. Undeterred, the genial one found safe passage aboard the 17th green, and drained a 24-foot putt for deuce. Playing the last as a three-shot hole, Straka dropped another, mid-length putt from 18 feet for his final birdie of the day.

Straka owns a pair of titles on the PGA Tour. There’s no reason he should challenge for this one, but we’ve seen less likely candidates rise to the top of the podium, as Champion Golfer of the Year. One thing is for sure: if Straka keeps making buckets of birdies, he’ll be fun to watch.

Six birdies in his final seven holes.

It's a run that has pushed Sepp Straka from outside the top 30 to inside the top three.https://t.co/YqSSqBALRQ pic.twitter.com/D3cK113tiS

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 21, 2023

5. How will it end?

If Brian Harman continues to play mid-60s golf, the 2023 Open Championship will be remembered as a one-man show. We’ve seen events like that before, but not at a major since 2000 at Pebble Beach. More likely is a par round from Harman along the way, and a few surges from the weekend chasers. In the past, we’ve predicted only winners, but we’re going to elaborate a bit more, for your and our entertainment. On Saturday, Harman will not have his best game, but he will navigate the links of Hoylake in 72 shots. His one-over round of golf will fix him at nine-deep, heading into Sunday. He’ll still be among the top five, and will most likely again play in the day’s final game. Fleetwood will play one-under golf, and be at six-under on Saturday night.

Closing in to join Harman in Sunday’s last pairing will be Min Woo Lee. The Australian has designs on joining his sister as a major champion, and he has been in the mix in enough grand slam events to know how to play a round of golf in the heat of the moment. We’ll see a 66 from Rory, and that will bring him into the penultimate pairing with Fleetwood. All in all, Saturday will set the stage for an unforgettable Sunday.

The best shots from Friday morning. pic.twitter.com/4x2SNUkrme

— The Open (@TheOpen) July 21, 2023