The Open 2025: Scottie Scheffler leads by Matt Fitzpatrick

Scheffler began the week with the question of revealing his daily wrestle with the question of why he played the game, but his game illuminated the largely dark conditions in which he has played so far.

An opening of 68 gave him the pace and on Friday he held his laser -sharp focus, with a birdie on the first when the rain had knocked down.

That gave the tone for his day and a hat -trick of birdies from the fifth followed another on the 10th, who reached eight.

Fitzpatrick, about an hour earlier, scaled even larger heights. The Yorkshireman, who had shared the lead overnight on four underneath, had four birdies in its openings.

Four more followed from the 10th, when he was the first to reach 10 under par. A short missed putt in the 14th cost him a shot and a three-foot bird attempt on the 17th lips when the fine edges competed against him.

But the huge jubilation rang when he remained brave in the last a 24-foot-saving putt.

With the darkness in the afternoon, Scheffler used the foundation that were softer and more receptive after it was clear to the rain three more birdies and the edge.

“We come to the first hole, it's sunny. Then you suddenly look around and it is super dark and rain was pouring,” he said.

“You are like 'boy, I wonder how long it will take'.

“Fortunately, it didn't shine all the time. We had four or five holes in which it really came down and I was able to use the advantage where we had good weather.”

In the past, Harman recovered memories of his run to the 2023 open title with a Bogy-Free 65.

His charges repeated his performance on the Wirral Coast when he also shot a second round 65.

During his tireless march, Harman was called the Claret jug in Royal Liverpool in Royal Liverpool two years ago as the “butcher of Hoylake”.

When asked whether he was still happy to hunt, he replied: “Yes, Big Hunter, Big Fisherman.

“I didn't know that everyone was so angry. It is a hill on which I will die. I'll sleep like a baby at night.”

He dissected one of the hardest courses in the world on Friday, with three birdies in the first seven holes and three more on the back nine.

Li, who almost terminated the sport in 2023 after taking two cuts at 20 DP World Tour events, played the afternoon rain to achieve a second consecutive 67.

After a final round of 63 in Royal Birkdale, he finished third in his open debut.