The Open: Things you might have missed from round two at St Andrews

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Water, water everywhere
It was pretty wet at St Andrews on Friday morning and not just on the golf course. Staying in the Old Course Hotel to the right of the Road Hole, Byeong Hun An woke up to water leaking through his roof! Safe to say the Korean wasn’t best pleased but it turned out fine in the end: ‘Thanks for moving me to the suite room @OldCourseHotel’ he tweeted.

Leg ache for Poults
After the morning’s rain delay, Ian Poulter’s tee time was pushed back to 5:15pm. Most of the players have spent the extra time lounging in the St Andrews Links clubhouse, but not the Englishman. The Ryder Cup star went for a walk around town instead: ‘Time to stretch the legs. Nice walk and some fresh air in the High St.’ he tweeted.

Five or six?
Steven Bowditch shot a superb 69 to move to five-under, but the Australian was convinced he should have been one shot worse off. His ball moved after he had addressed it on the ninth green, causing him to throw his putter down and call in a rules official. He needn’t have worried: ‘I forgot they changed the rule a year ago or two years ago,’ he explains. ‘If the ball rolls, if the ball moves while you’re putter is down and it’s not caused by you, basically caused by the wind, it’s not a penalty. I’ve had it happen to me a few times, and it used to be a penalty, and I had a mind blank and I forgot they changed the rule. I went from making a pretty soft 5 to a really mad 6 to a felt-like-a-birdie 5 again.’

Everybody Loves Raymond
Marc Warren added a 68 to yesterday’s 69 but, as one of the early starters, had to find a way of killing time. ‘During the delay, I went back inside,’ explains the Scot. ‘I sat in the players’ lounge again for about 45 minutes, and then I ended up actually going to the car, went and sat in the car, watched a bit of TV and ended up falling asleep, kind of dozing on and off just listening to some music. Everybody Loves Raymond was on.’

That’s for you, Ivor
Tom Watson is making his final appearance at this year’s championship but he is not the only Open legend bowing out. Announcer and voice of the championship, Ivor Robson, is also calling it a day this year and there was a touching moment just before Watson’s 4:48pm tee time. The five-time champion strode on to the first 10 minutes early to hand Ivor a signed flag. Class.

Jim’s jig
Dance of the day – if it’s not a real thing it should be – goes to Jim Furyk. The American is not renowned for his moves but if the jig he pulled off while trying to avoid playing partner Paul Casey’s putting line on the 12th green is anything to go by, we reckon he could give a certain Mr Jimenez a run for his money in a special golfing edition of Strictly Come Dancing.   

The best of Twitter

Tommy Fleetwood (To Bernd Wiesberger): We can only hope [the rain clears up]. Play you at @McIlroyRory new game in the tented village instead?

Edoardo Molinari: It’s “a bit windy” out there with “some light rain”! Reminds me of Links Trophy in 1999, when I hit driver-2 iron at the 1st! @TheOpen

Richie Ramsay: I would say even a Scotsman would describe the weather as bad this morning in St Andrews. #battle #grind

Richie Ramsay: Armageddon close!!!!! River behind R&A clubhouse as they got sandbags in media tent!! @TheOpen #suspended #stillloveit

Ian Poulter: I will now be teeing off at 5.15pm today. Looks like we could finish same time as I holed the last putt of round 1 in 2000 which was 10.01pm

Graeme McDowell: Watching the coverage on #BBCSport making a few putt break notes #research

Eddie Pepperell: Some spiteful pins out there today on that front 9!! The R&A want to get their own back.

Gary Boyd: Can’t believe I wasn’t on shot of the day for the 1st round @TheOpen @BBCSport left handed up against a lip on 4th hole #rewindthecameras

Pablo Larrazabal: More like it tomorrow… Played great but looks like is not going to be enouf if the wind doesnt blow harder… Very proud of my come back

Mikko Ilonen: Got away with #Twilight green fee today. Hope to make most of it #TheOpen

Bernd Wiesberger: Was tough out there today. Had the fight hard but not holing Putts out there makes it tough to make a move.

Mark Calcavecchia: Today on 8. Whack!!!  Yaco Van Zyl hit his shot. Except he hit it 3 inches in front of the markers. 2 shot penalty. He played great today too

Tyrrell Hatton: You know you have a late tee time @TheOpen when you’re having dinner before you go out 

Round 2 in numbers

35,860: Attendance for the first round on Thursday.

66: Greenkeepers working to remove water from the Old Course this morning.

12: Amount of rain in millimetres that fell in a 30 minute spell in the early hours of Friday, 

27: Holes it took Sir Nick Faldo to make his first birdie this year.

10: Shots difference between Jaco Van Zyl’s first and second rounds (79, 69)

156: Players (the entire field) who failed to birdie the Road Hole before Van Zyl, in the first group of round two, managed it today.

1910: The last time a Scot won the Open at St Andrews (James Braid)

4: Consecutive threes made by Steven Bowditch at the start of the back nine.

10: Consecutive rounds that Danny Willett has shot par or better on the Old Course.

67.9: Willett’s scoring average across those 10 rounds.

28: Fairways hit out of 32 by Thomas Aiken, Cameron Tringale and Jason Dufner through the first two rounds – a field high.

345: Gary Woodland’s average drive distance – 13 yards clear of the field.

10: Number of scrambles by Padraig Harrington in rounds one and two.

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