Signature Scroll: Stars rise, favorites go home early and a rules controversy at Royal Birkdale

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Well, today had everything. We will get to the ruling. First, a bit on the scene today …

The harsh reality at The Open

SOUTHPORT, England – Friday at The Open Championship evokes a particular kind of desperation and despair. It grows with the evening shadows and fills the vacuum of silence that lingers in the solemn closing moments.

A little less than half the field left Royal Birkdale with a pit in their stomach, one they won’t be able to clear for another nine months when the major championship calendar comes round again.

The Open is the end of the road in that respect. The majors come in quick succession each year, and as long as there’s another one, there’s hope.

At The Open, there’s only harsh reality. The next one ain’t coming soon, and there’s no guarantee you’ll be there when it arrives.

As the day’s end neared, I found myself drawn to the man who knows the wait ahead all too well – one who sat precariously on the cutline, with more than just the cut on his mind.

Justin Rose is chasing time. He has been for a while. The urgency for major No. 2 is clear. There are only a few realistic chances left, and he’s already missed a few.

The Masters last April. The Masters before that. Royal Troon in 2024.

That urgency was visible on a day like today as I walked with his group on the back nine. When his ball fell short and dropped into a greenside bunker at the 12th, he dropped his club and threw his hands to his head. A few minutes later, when the par putt slid by, he swung his putter like a baseball bat chasing a 100 mph fastball. It was the most demonstrative I had ever seen him. You get the sense he could feel the finality.

Royal Birkdale was where he had his breakthrough as a young amateur, finishing fourth at The Open in 1998. It was his announcement to the world. He’s been in our lives ever since. How much longer will that be the case?

It’s hard not to get contemplative when that type of symmetry presents itself. He walked up the 18th to a rousing applause, likely the last time he will do so at this venue. He missed the cut by two strokes.

Rose's week ended prematurely. His wait will continue for another nine months, chasing a major that may or may not come. When he gets to the Masters, he will be older than Jack Nicklaus was when he won in 1998. He’s entering uncharted territory.

I still won’t count him out.

Rose wasn’t the only one who left disappointed. For others, this will go down as a lost year in the majors.

Viktor Hovland missed the cut without much drama. He failed to make the weekend in three majors this year and didn’t contend in the other. More chances that have come and gone.

There remained hope for Jordan Spieth in his return to Royal Birkdale. The magic of 2017 was so vivid in our minds. Surely that golfer could return. He was well outside the cutline when he made a quadruple bogey at the 17th. He’s headed home, going on four years since his last legitimate moment of contention. Akshay Bhatia, amid a career year, missed three of four cuts at majors.

Others will have played their last major this week. They just don’t know it yet. That's what makes Friday at The Open so compelling.

Playing through

• ❌ More than a few surprising names won’t be around for the weekend, including the two frontrunners for Player of the Year …
• 6️⃣2️⃣ Within 25 minutes, two players tied the lowest score in major championship history ...
• ✍️ Need an in-depth catch-up on Day 2? We provided updates all day long from on-site ...

Rules controversy turns The Open upside down

Bryson DeChambeau was assessed a two-stroke penalty for inadvertently improving his lie during the second round at Royal Birkdale.

The R&A, the governing body overseeing the championship, deemed DeChambeau to have committed the offense while preparing to hit his second shot at the par-4 fifth.

"What the prohibited action here is that the player mustn't move, bend or break any growing or attached natural object," Grant Moir, the executive director of governance for The R&A, told reporters. "A player is allowed to fairly take their stance by taking reasonable actions to get to the ball and take a stance ... but when doing so, the player must take the least intrusive course of action to deal with the particular situation and is not entitled to a normal stance or swing."

DeChambeau and The R&A returned to the fifth after play concluded to discuss the penalty. DeChambeau was seen stating his case, ultimately to no avail.

“They felt he was not careful enough walking around in a sensitive area,” DeChambeau’s agent Brett Falkoff said. “(DeChambeau) feels he was unfairly penalized. That’s just the reality.”

Regardless of the penalty's validity, the result has serious consequences for the tournament. DeChambeau had signed for a score of 4-under 66 and a bogey at the fifth. That was changed to 2-under 68 and a triple bogey. It also dropped him out of solo second at 7-under par and a spot in the final pairing. He’s now 5-under overall, tied for fifth.

Parting shots

• 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 What a weekend it could be for Tommy Fleetwood. He shot 67 to jump to 4 under. The dream of a hometown winner is alive. It's about all the English fans have left. Rose, Matt Fitzpatrick and Aaron Rai all missed the cut. Fleetwood now assumes the pressure of the nation. No Englishman has won The Open since 1992.
• 🫤 Scottie Scheffler could be right around the lead if not for a poor putter. He is third in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green, but 126th in putting.
• 🏋️ For the second straight day, Rory McIlroy drove the ninth green, a hole that is not supposed to be drivable. McIlroy didn’t expect to do it either. In every practice round, he chose to lie back, but a favorable wind has convinced him to take a lash the last two days. It’s worked out great and is part of a growing majority that favors aggressive play around Royal Birkdale.
• 📈 Sam Burns has never had a good result at this event, the only blind spot on his major record. A tie for 31st in 2024 is his best finish. After his record 62, he said he’s learning to “embrace the chaos.”
• 🇮🇹 Let’s take a moment to appreciate Francesco Molinari. The Italian lifted the claret jug the last time we had conditions like this in 2018 at Carnoustie, and he’s turning back the clock here, 4 under and tied for sixth.
• 👏 Watching Russell Henley is a blast from the past. He laid up WAY short on the par-3 14th, then carved a long iron into the green from 259 yards out, landing it well short of the green and letting it trundle to the middle of the green. My favorite shot of the day, no question.