Happy to be BORING

FORMER Open champion Brian Harman claims the name of the venue may have changed but his game is the same as he seeks to replicate his 2023 Claret Jug victory.

- By CARL MARKHAM

The American left-hander was a six-stroke winner at Hoylake two years ago and he replicated that form at Royal Portrush with a six-under second round of 65.

It earned him a share of the eight-under lead with China's Haotong Li, who took 32 holes to register his only bogey of the championship, and Sheffield’s Matt Fitzpatrick, through 1, and brought back memories of his performance on the Wirral where he went top of the leaderboard on Friday and never relinquished his grip.

Back then he established a five-shot cushion after the second day, but there was no such luxury in Northern Ireland as he has Li and the former US Open champion for company, with world number one Scottie Scheffler lurking ominously a shot behind after nine holes of his second round.