Friday at The Open Championship challenged each golfer to their core. Billy Horschel, nevertheless, remained regular and was one of many handful of gamers to shoot below par.
He carded a 3-under 68 Friday to sit down at 2-under for the match and soar into rivalry. Horschel is 5 photographs behind chief Shane Lowry and is in a tie for fourth. He has by no means been within the place, as his finest 36-hole mark at The Open was T-40.
His consistency by means of these first two rounds allowed him to maneuver up 27 spots on the leaderboard.
“Very happy. Two high quality rounds of golf performed and a very good place going into the weekend,” Horschel stated.
“I couldn’t ask for something extra after the primary two rounds.”
The previous Florida Gator recorded 4 birdies and a bogey. He opened his spherical with back-to-back birdies earlier than dropping a shot on the par-4 third.
4 straight pars adopted till his subsequent birdie got here on the par-3 eighth. He turned to the second facet after capturing a 2-under 34 on the entrance. He made six straight pars on the again 9 till his closing birdie got here on the par-5 sixteenth.
This 12 months marks his tenth begin at The Open. In these earlier 9 begins, Horschel’s finest end got here in 2021. He tied for twenty first that 12 months at Royal St. George’s. He additionally missed the lower in six of these begins.
“The document could be a little deceiving,” Horschel stated.
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“I performed in [the Alfred Dunhill Links at St. Andrews] the previous couple of years and felt higher on hyperlinks golf programs, and my document has been higher on hyperlinks golf programs, which once I come to The Open, I really feel extra comfy that I’ve a document of high quality play someplace in hyperlinks programs.”
In 2016, the final time Royal Troon hosted, he shot 4-under 67 and adopted it up with an atrocious 85.
“The climate was fairly nasty [in 2016.] I bought to No. 9, and the climate to that time was the nastiest climate I’ve ever performed in—blowing 30, raining sideways, Horschel stated.
“It was a brute that day.”
After profitable the Corales Puntacana Championship earlier this 12 months, Horschel tied for eighth on the PGA Championship at Valhalla after which tied for forty first on the U.S. Open.
He’s not approaching issues in another way, regardless of the completely different model in golf, however as a substitute sticking to his plan.
“Simply hold hammering away,” Horschel stated.
“The majors imply a lot to me. It’s a legacy factor. You possibly can submit your legacy within the sport of golf by profitable a significant or a number of majors. I’ve all the time felt I’ve had the sport to play properly in majors. I simply needed to get out of my very own means.”
Horschel defined his perfectionist tendencies and the way these parts stress him out.
“You’ve bought to play excellent golf in majors to win,” he stated.
“I do know that isn’t the case, however it was simply a type of issues the place, in sure circumstances, I’m in all probability a sluggish learner, and with the majors. I’m a sluggish learner in studying strategy. The outcomes haven’t proven the final couple of years, the way in which I’ve dealt with it, the way in which mentally I’ve been, and in an excellent state of mind and never overly, say — it’s not wired, simply nervousness, eager to play properly. I’ve carried out a greater job of that within the final couple of years.
Horshcel put his outdated putter again within the bag this week after testing out a brand new one on the Scottish Open.
He heads into the third spherical of The Open Championship with a late afternoon begin time. He’s in rivalry, and with two extra good rounds, the Claret Jug might go residence with Horschel.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By. For extra golf protection, comply with us @_PlayingThrough on all main social platforms. You may also comply with her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.
