Open Championship 2022: Cameron Smith posts record-breaking score as Rory McIlroy remains in the hunt

Cameron Smith produced a record-breaking performance to take the lead of the Open Championship at 13-under, but Rory McIlroy is lurking three shots back. Smith backed up a 67 with a 64 on Friday to post the lowest 36-hole score at an Open Championship at St Andrews, eclipsing the 12-under mark of Nick Faldo (1990), Greg Norman (1990) and Louis Oosthuizen (2010).

Ad/> The Australian is looking to follow in the footsteps of Peter Thompson, Greg Norman and Ian Baker-Finch and win the Claret Jug for Australia, but McIlroy may have something to say on the back of a 68. The OpenOpen Championship 2022: Tee times, prize money, TV coverage as Tiger heads field13/07/2022 AT 08:57 McIlroy made a slow start, with four straight pars.

He appeared set for a fifth on the spin, when getting out of position on five, but he got up and down from an unpromising position to post his first birdie of the day. The Irishman’s wedge play has been massively improved this year and he gave a demonstration on seven, as he sent the ball over the top of the flag and it zipped back to four feet for a simple birdie.

/> The rain earlier in the day had made the greens more receptive, allowing players to impart spin on the ball for the first time in the tournament. He gave a shot back on eight but a run of three birdies in a row on 10,11 and 12 propelled him to 10-under.