Christian Bezuidenhout, co-leader from the opening day of The Open, faced a challenging start on day two at Royal Portrush. Conditions worsened with stronger winds and forecasts of heavy rain in the afternoon, making the course particularly difficult. The first hole remained tough, rated as the fifth-hardest from the previous day. Bezuidenhout found himself in trouble, landing in thick rough which hindered his ability to save par, ultimately missing a crucial nine-footer.
Despite his rough beginning, Bezuidenhout managed to regain his footing with a birdie on the par-five next hole, bringing him back into a tie for the lead at four under, alongside Matt Fitzpatrick, Jacob Skov Olesen, Haotong Li, and Harris English.
Australian golfer Marc Leishman capitalized on the conditions, charging to an impressive three-under-par 33 on the front nine and improving to two under with another birdie at the tenth. Meanwhile, veteran Sergio Garcia, making his return to The Open, struggled early with a double-bogey but bounced back with a birdie on the subsequent hole, positioning himself at level par.
Notably, U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley made an eagle, propelling him to one under par as he navigated the course.
The competitive landscape continues to shift as players contend with both the challenging conditions and each other, setting the stage for an exciting finish to the tournament. With resilience and skill, Bezuidenhout and his fellow competitors face the day ahead with opportunities still abound.