Las Vegas party the flawless Open warm-up for Koepka

Spieth will rely on everything he can to capture the claret jug Sunday at Royal Birkdale.

There has been plenty for us all to chew on after two rounds of the 146th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale.

U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka, with no competition and barely any practice since capturing his first major a month ago, ran off three straight birdies and holed a tough shot from a pot bunker for eagle on the par-5 17th hole for a 5-under 65. Spieth is at 9 under for the tournament, while Kuchar is 7 under. Kuchar is second at 4-1.

Kuch matched Spieth’s first round with a handsome, bogey-free 65 on his card but then dropped back on Friday, and that was playing in the more benign morning conditions while his Ryder Cup pod mate battled the elements and still managed a 1-under par second round (the first time the Texan has managed to get in red numbers at an Open Championship second round). They attacked when birdie chances presented themselves but were more than happy to walk away from the green after par putts.

“Typically, when I’m walking up to greens, I take out my notes and know where I’ve been”, Spieth said.

“I got pretty frustrated out there, through the middle of my round”. “Each hole presents new challenges and I wait until I get there to see what challenge is presented to me and try to make the best of it”. His threesome required 18 shots to play that hole.

The 23-year-old’s putting game was merely good after his red-hot form on Thursday. One small lapse, but one that can be costly for a player who has earned almost $40 million yet has never won a major. “I was trying to look within myself”.

She threw high winds and torrential rain across the Royal Birkdale course but the two-time major champion took it all in his stride.

Spieth is not immune to meltdowns on the biggest of stages. The giant 39-year-old had five birdies in his first nine holes as he went out in just 29.

It could be again on Sunday, particularly if he can solve the riddle of how to catch that guy. He wound up with a double-bogey 6.

Alex Noren has birdied the first hole at Royal Birkdale in the British Open.

“I feel like I’ve had a great career, but the next progression to win a major”, he admitted after his round.

“I feel great and I wouldn’t expect anything different”, he added.

Ryder Cup team-mate Kuchar will join Spieth in tomorrow’s final group after he battled to a one-over-par 71 on a day when only six players, including Spieth, broke 70. And having to pick one is kind of hard, to be honest with you. “And you control your own destiny”.

A check of the forecast also ignited Spieth.

His advantage was back to one after a bogey on 14, but a bounce-back eagle extended his lead to three before a three-putt bogey on 16 gave his chasers hope.

“But I’m in good spirits”, McIlroy said.

“And we got in at six (under) and it was a very, very solid day”. I think it will be interesting this weekend. He’s in a four-way tie for 11th heading into the final day. “I just wanted to continue with that good feeling from the last few holes (on Thursday) and went out with that positivity and just need to keep that going for the next two days”. The weather was just changing the whole time.

T5. Hideki Matsuyama (-4): The list of players to take seriously as a threat to Spieth or Kuchar is short, but Matusyama is absolutely on that list.