Smith two ahead at The Open; McIlroy in mix as Woods misses cut

Cameron Smith produced a record-breaking round to jump into a two-shot halfway lead at The 150th Open, with Rory McIlroy and Viktor Hovland in the chasing pack.

Smith carded an eagle and six birdies on his way to a superb eight-under 64 on the Old Course, seeing him move to 13 under 131 and break the record for the lowest 36-hole total posted in a major.

The world No 6 holed from nearly 50 feet at the first to begin a run of three consecutive birdies and added back-to-back gains from the sixth to reach the turn in 31, with the Australian starting his back nine with a birdie and rolling in a long-range eagle at the par-five 14th.

The 28-year-old required one birdie in his last four holes to equal the lowest major round at St Andrews and needed to play the closing stretch in two under to match Branden Grace's record 62, only to par his way home and head into the weekend two clear of first-round leader Cameron Young.

Young followed up his opening-round 64 by mixing five birdies with two bogeys in a three-under 69, while McIlroy maintained his push for a first major title since 2014 and third victory of the season by posting a second-round 68.

McIlroy made birdies at the fifth and seventh before cancelling out a long-range three-putt bogey at the eighth by starting his back nine with three consecutive birdies, only to three-putt the par-five 14th for par and three-putt the next to slip back to nine under.

The four-time major winner birdied his penultimate hole to sit in tied-third alongside Hovland, who made a hole-out eagle at the par-four 15th and birdied the last to sign for a six-under 66.

Dustin Johnson made a bogey-free 67 to get within four of the lead and world No 1 Scottie Scheffler is five off the pace alongside