Spieth Eases Towards Number 1

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Jordan Spieth will replace Rory McIlroy as world number one if he wins the 144th Open Championship and completes the third leg of an unprecedented calendar grand slam.

Spieth’s play-off victory in the John Deere Classic on Sunday means he can overtake McIlroy, who has been ruled out of his title defence with an ankle injury, in the rankings by lifting the Claret Jug at St Andrews.

The 21-year-old’s decision to compete in Illinois, where he won his first PGA Tour title in 2013, rather than contest the Scottish Open at Gullane or practise on links courses in Britain has been questioned by the likes of former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley.

But the Masters and US Open champion had no doubts it was the right decision after defeating veteran Tom Gillis on the second extra hole.

“I really didn’t care anyway,” Spieth said. “I came here for a reason, and we accomplished that reason, and certainly have some momentum going into next week. This tournament means a lot to me. This is a tournament I truly love.

“I’ve got plenty in the tank. Leading into the Masters, those couple of weeks right before could have taken a lot out of me with a runner-up finish and then a play-off loss. And we rebounded nicely.”

Spieth is a strong favourite for the Open despite only having played one round at the Old Course before the 2011 Walker Cup at Royal Aberdeen, with US Open runner-up Dustin Johnson and Rickie Fowler next in the betting.

Fowler’s win at Gullane has lifted him to a career-high fifth in the world rankings and the 26-year-old is now hoping to emulate Phil Mickelson in 2013 by winning the Scottish Open and Open Championship in consecutive weeks.

Former world number one Tiger Woods, who won the Open at St Andrews in 2000 and 2005 and spent the weekend practising at the Old Course, fell from 226th in the rankings to 241st.

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McIlroy Seeks Tiger Pointers

Rory McIlroy has "picked the brains" of Tiger Woods over the ankle injury which has prevented him defending his Open title.

McIlroy suffered a ruptured ankle ligament while playing football with friends last Saturday and told Woods about it the same day, although the world No 1 waited until Monday to release the news on Instagram.

"He sent me a photo the day he did it," Woods told ESPN.com after practising at the Old Course on Saturday. "We talked about it for a little bit.

"He said, 'You've been through a lot of injuries over the years.' So he picked my brain a little bit. We had a good talk. He's doing the right thing, taking care of his body first before he gets back out here. 

"No doubt he's frustrated that he's not going to be able to play in the Open Championship, especially here at St Andrews, and how well he's been playing of late, and this golf course really does set up well for him.

"That's the way it goes. We all get injured at one point in time. Sometimes it's through the sport or sometimes it's through fun activities. You just never know."

Woods arrived in Scotland on Saturday morning and admitted he was surprised by the condition of the course where he won the 2000 Open by eight shots and the 2005 Open by five.

"I was shocked," Woods added. "I had seen photos of it a month ago. It was bone dry. It looked like it was going to be one of those dust bowls again; hard, fast, like the years I've played St Andrews. It's changed. They got big rain and a lot of sun.

Former world No 1 Woods is currently ranked 226th after a nightmare season which has featured career-worst scores on the PGA Tour and in the US Open and a best finish of tied 17th in the Masters.

However, the 14-time major winner did card three sub-par rounds to finish joint 32nd in the Greenbrier Classic in his last start, including a bogey-free closing 67.

"I feel good," the 39-year-old added: "Sunday at Greenbrier is probably the best I hit it in two years. That was fun. It sounds crazy when I told everyone at Greenbrier that I felt close, after the scores I shot at the Memorial (85) and the US Open (80).

"I put it together at Greenbrier and hit it really good. [Instructor] Chris [Como] told me it was the first time I led the field in proximity to the hole with my iron game."

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Lowry and McDowell in Chase

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Shane Lowry was one of five players to set the early clubhouse target in the second round of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open on Friday, with defending champion Justin Rose and Graeme McDowell as in the group. All three strokes of leader Daniel Brooks.

Lowry followed up on Thursday’s 66 replicating his impressive first round to leave him at eight under par overall. He is joined by Rose, Johan Carlsson, Grégory Havret and McDowell.

Lowry was quick out of the blocks with two birdies from his opening five holes, before three further birdies on the back nine were marred by a bogey on the 15th.

Carlsson was in the first group out at 6:30am and carded four birdies and one bogey to add a 67 to his opening 65 in damp conditions to finish eight under par.

However, Rose had also improved to eight under with nine holes to play thanks to a front nine of 31, the former US Open champion looking to become the first player to successfully defend the Scottish Open following his win at Royal Aberdeen 12 months ago.

Rose bogeyed the opening hole but two-putted the par-five second for birdie and then carded four more in the space of five holes from the fourth.

Playing partner Phil Mickelson, who won the 2013 Open a mile down the road at Muirfield, could only manage one birdie on the front nine to lie two under, one shot inside the projected cut after 77 players broke par on Thursday.

The best scoring of the day so far was coming from Chile’s Felipe Aguilar, who began the day in 140th place after struggling to an opening 73, but jumped up the leaderboard in style with birdies at the first and second before firing a hole-in-one on the third, holing from 170 yards with an eight iron.

The 40-year-old has a habit of brilliant bursts of scoring, winning his second European Tour title in Singapore last year with a final round of 62 at Laguna National, holing his second shot to the 18th to complete the back nine in just 28 shots.

And after carding what would prove to be his only par on the front nine today on the fourth, Aguilar followed it with three birdies and two bogeys for an eventful front nine of 30.

Aguilar could not repeat such fireworks on the back nine but did birdie the 14th to move to six under for the day and three under overall.

Rose found trouble off the tee on the 10th but produced a superb pitch from 55 yards to within inches of the hole to save par and remain tied for the lead, along with fellow English man Brooks, who had eagled the second.

In contrast, Mickelson bogeyed the 11th and 12th after finding sand off the tee on both occasions and, at level par, was facing an uphill battle to make the halfway cut.

Lowry had no such worries, the links specialist going to the turn in 33 and picking up another shot on the 11th to get within a shot of the lead on seven under.

Mickelson produced the ideal response with birdies on the 14th, 15th and 16th, the latter coming thanks a typically deft chip from the side of the green.

That took the five-time major winner to three under par and safely inside the cut line, while playing partner Rose remained eight under and appeared shaken by hitting an elderly spectator on the head with a wayward drive on the 16th.

MIchael Hoey fired a second round 65 to share 24th place ahead of the weekend.

Padraig Harrington was 34th after second round 68.

Damien McGrane and Paul McGinley missed the cut

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McDowell Finds Route 66

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Graeme McDowell enjoyed a welcome return to form on the opening day of the Scottish Open on Thursday.

McDowell’s sole top-10 finish on the European Tour this season came back in February and he missed the cut when bidding for a third successive French Open title last week, a second round of 78 being his worst score in 32 rounds at Le Golf National.

The 35-year-old admitted he needed to “clear his mind” of thoughts about technique and looked to have succeeded with an opening 66 at Gullane, which was marred only by bogeys at the last two holes.

“It’s always disappointing to finish with a couple of bogeys but I played some good stuff today,” said McDowell, who carded four birdies in succession in a front nine of 30 and also birdied the 16th before three-putting the 17th and 18th.

“I drove the ball well and the putter was quite spicy the first 11 or 12 holes before cooling down, but I would have taken 66 before going out and I will take it now.”

McDowell revealed he and coach Pete Cowen had found the solution to his poor form by looking at videos of his swing from 2010, the year he won the US Open at Pebble Beach and holed the winning putt in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor.

“I’m trying to get back to basics and we have narrowed my stance and used my body to swing the club how I used to,” McDowell added.

“And it was nice to get back on a course that gives you a few opportunities in benign conditions. I just need a few low numbers to get my belief and confidence back and today will go a long way towards that.”

McDowell was by no means the only player to take advantage of the 7,133-yard par-70 composite course, with American pair Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar also finishing four under.

Thorbjorn Olesen had set the clubhouse target on seven under after a flawless 63, with England’s Matthew Nixon, Spain’s Adrian Otaegui and American Ryder Cup player Jimmy Walker on five under.

In a week dominated by Rory McIlroy missing his British Open defence due to an ankle injury suffered playing football, Olesen could sympathise with the world number one after injuring himself getting off a camel in Dubai last year.

“When I had to get down I pulled a muscle in my groin and it took a few weeks before I could walk properly again,” Olesen admitted with a smile.

The 25-year-old also discovered a tendon problem in his left hand over the winter but battled on for four events – missing the cut in the last three – before undergoing surgery at the start of February.

“It’s been a tough time but I keep working on the right things and hopefully it will come,” said Olesen, who lost a play-off for the Mauritius Open in May in his first event back after three months on the sidelines. “I showed today I can still shoot low rounds.

“I hit almost every green – only missing the 18th – and hit a lot of fairways and greens today, which was the key.”

Two birdies in the final five holes helped Pádraig Harrington card a two-under 68

Damien McGrane was in the clubhouse after a round of 69

Michael Hoey signed for a level-par 72.

Paul McGinley got off to a disastrous start, finding himself on four over after two holes following a triple bogey on the opening hole and a bogey on the second to end Thursday on a six-over 76.

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Rory Will be Gutted - GMAC

Rory McIlroy will be "gutted" to miss out on the defence of his Open title next week, according to Ryder Cup team-mate Graeme McDowell.

McIlroy revealed on Monday that he had suffered a "total rupture" of the anterior talofibular ligament in his left ankle while playing football with friends at the weekend.

The 26-year-old pulled out of this week's Scottish Open at Gullane as a result and, although he initially did not rule himself out of competing at St Andrews, the four-time major winner has now revealed he is taking a "long-term view" of the injury and will remain on the sidelines to continue his rehabilitation.

The clash between McIlroy and Masters and US Open champion Jordan Spieth in the 144th Open had been eagerly anticipated and McDowell said: "It's hugely disappointing, especially with him and Jordan and everything that's going on. It was looking a really exciting Open for all involved.

"I was reading between the lines as to what the description of his injury was. I wasn't expecting him to play in the Open, so I'm not surprised he's pulled out. But it's a massive blow for the tournament, he's the world's number one player. We hope for a speedy recovery.

"No one would love to stop Jordan in his tracks next week more than Rory. With the fun rivalry going on and everything, he's going to be gutted. I saw the golf course last Saturday and I believed that Rory was rightly a favourite. I thought he'd get it done round there."

Former US Open champion Justin Rose added: "I would have been surprised if he was there given the initial diagnosis but it's a big shame for him and the tournament."

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