Marc Leishman is the only Australian golfer to advance to the weekend at The 153rd Open Championship. After a challenging start, Leishman delivered a solid performance with a 3-under 68 on Friday, tying for 26th place. He began his day early at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland and finished nine shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler.
Leishman’s round included five birdies but was marred by bogeys on holes 13 and 14. Despite this, he maintained a positive outlook, saying, “Drove it well, didn’t hit any fairway bunkers today, which was good. That’s what killed me yesterday.”
He humorously recounted an incident at the par-3 13th hole where he mishit his shot: “That little mishap on 13 there. It’s a bit scary when that happens.” Leishman plans to relax with “a pint or two of Guinness” while watching the tournament on TV.
Other Australians faced difficulties. Jason Day missed the cut after narrowly missing crucial putts late in his round. New Zealanders Daniel Hillier and Ryan Fox also failed to make the cut with scores of +2.
Elvis Smylie battled illness but managed a commendable second round, ending at +3 overall. Curtis Luck improved significantly in his second round but still missed the cut with an 8-over total.
Cameron Smith, Lucas Herbert, Min Woo Lee, and Adam Scott were among those who did not advance and will look forward to future tournaments.
The championship continues to be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo.
Australasian Scores:
– T26 Marc Leishman (-1)
– MC Jason Day (+2)
– MC Daniel Hillier (NZ) (+2)
– MC Ryan Fox (NZ) (+2)
– MC Elvis Smylie (+3)
– MC Lucas Herbert (+4)
– MC Min Woo Lee (+5)
– MC Curtis Luck (+8)
– MC Cameron Smith (+8)
– MC Ryan Peake (+8)
– MC Adam Scott (+9)
