Turning 22 became even sweeter as India’s rising star Shubhankar Sharma successfully made the halfway cut in his maiden appearance at The 147th Open at Carnoustie on Friday. 

 

 

 

 

It is also the first time that Sharma made it through to the weekend rounds in a Major championship, having missed the mark earlier at The Masters in April and the U.S. Open in June.

 

 

Sharma battled through tough conditions in the morning to sign for a second round even-par 71, trailing leaders Kevin Kisner and Zach Johnson by eight shots in tied-52nd place with a two-over-par 144 total at the world’s oldest Major championship.

 

Anirban Lahiri, the other one of the two Indians in the elite field this week, posted a 74 to miss out on the weekend action at the year’s third Major championship.

 

“I am so excited right now. After that tee shot on the 18, I thought I just need to make par because a lot of players have yet to play. My first aim was to hit the fairway on the 18th and then hit the green to give myself birdie opportunity.

 

 

“This is my favourite Major championship. I imagined myself playing in The Open since I was a kid. I am happy to make the cut in my first attempt. This is also the first time I made the cut in a Major. It is definitely a big moment for me. I am also turning 22 tomorrow so it will be a great birthday present for me,” Sharma added.

 

 

Kisner, Johnson lead the pack on Day 2

 

 

 

 

On a rainy Scottish day that saw Carnoustie play much softer than it did on Thursday, Zach Johnson and Kevin Kisner finished at six under par to share the 36-hole lead in the British Open.  

 

Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele and Pat Perez are one shot back, while Rory McIlroy, Tony Finau, Matt Kuchar, Erik van Rooyen and Zander Lombard are sitting on four under.

 

 

 

Tiger Woods set for 1st Open weekend since 2014

 

 

 

 

Although Woods appeared relatively content -- a second straight 71 gave him consecutive scores of par or better to open a major championship for the first time in five years -- surely there was some angst over a missed birdie putt at the last hole or the two early bogeys that put him in catch-up mode for most of a rainy day at The Open.

 

"I could have cleaned up the round a little bit," he said. "And I did not get off to exactly the best start, being 2-over through three."

 

 

 

Major stars miss the Open Cut

 

 

The No. 1 spot in the Official World Golf Rankings is up for grabs after both No. 1 Dustin Johnson and No. 2 Justin Thomas missed the cut at the 147th Open Championship at Carnoustie. 

 

Johnson became the first world No. 1 to miss the cut at The Open since Luke Donald in 2011. It's DJ's first missed cut at The Open since his first appearance in 2009, but it follows at T54 in 2017 and T49 in 2015 with a T9 in between at Royal Troon in 2016. For Thomas, The Open has not been kind. In three appearances, he has two missed cuts and posted a T53 finish.