McIlroy unable so far to take advantage of scoreable conditions at Royal Portrush

Ireland's Rory McIlroy on the 5th during day two of The 153rd Open Championship. Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire.

Brilliant sunshine and humid conditions made for a perfect tableau on the second day of The Open and, while Rory McIlroy couldn’t take advantage, there were plenty of others who did through the morning’s play.

Rasmus Hojgaard and Brian Harman shared the lead on six-under par approaching lunchtime and over halfway through their rounds. The Dane carded five birdies and just one bogey through 14, the American was flawless through ten with four birdies.

Victor Hovland and Tommy Fleetwood both picked up birdies on all three opening holes while Tyrell Hatton was two-under through nine to sit one stroke back from the leading pair. Robert MacIntyre was midway through the round with a blemish-free 33 to get to three-under.

McIlroy, as was the case the day before, just couldn’t get enough momentum going. He shot birdie, par, bogey, birdie, bogey, par through the first six holes and that about summed it up. Every time he did something, threatened something, he stuttered again.

The opening birdie made for the perfect start, and there was a great par save on the 2nd after incurring a penalty drop off his drive, but he was left with a horribly awkward lie beside the lip of a bunker on the par-three third and couldn’t rescue the situation.

The birdie to follow, on the brutally tough and superb fourth hole was utter class. An opening drive dead centre of the fairway to 348 yards, a superb iron approach to five feet and the birdie putt to finish it off.

Chants of ‘Rory, Rory, Rory’ sprouted instantly from the enormous cavalcade of supporters that again attached itself to Northern Ireland’s favourite son only for the following fifth to turn pear-shaped for him straight after.

One of the most scenic holes in golf, the sun was blazing as McIlroy’s group teed off but the Masters champion found a bunker short and to the left on what is a drivable par-four and again couldn’t save himself hardship on his card.

Three pars followed to leave him where he started the day, on one-under par.