South Africa’s best-placed golfer at The Open, Charl Schwartzel, will tee off at 10:47 as he looks to make up the one-shot deficit on co-leaders Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka and Matt Kuchar on Friday at Royal Birkdale.
Schwartzel found himself just one off the pace after a superb approach into 18 set up his fourth birdie on his inward nine as he overshadowed his playing partners, Rory McIlory (71) and Dustin Johnson (71).
The 2011 Masters champion is two shots better than four-time Major winner Ernie Els, who bogeyed the last on Thursday to sit in the group on two under. The Big Easy will look to take advantage of the day’s best weather as he begins his second round at 08:41.
Branden Grace is South Africa’s only other player on level or better after 18 and will be off at 13:53, with the weather expected to be severe for the afternoon starters.
Selected second round tee times:
08:41 – Ross Fisher, ERNIE ELS (RSA), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT)
08:52 – Tyrrell Hatton, Martin Kaymer (GER), Aaron Baddeley (AUS)
09:03 – Jason Day (AUS), Zach Johnson (USA), Sergio Garcia (ESP)
09:25 – Rickie Fowler (USA), Adam Scott (AUS), Paul Casey
10:14 – Jhonattan Vegas (VEN), BRANDON STONE (RSA), Sean O’Hair (USA)
10:47 – Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson (USA), CHARL SCHWARTZEL (RSA)
10:58 – Patrick Reed (USA), Jon Rahm (ESP), Lee Westwood
11:09 – Francesco Molinari (ITA), Phil Mickelson (USA), Marc Leishman (AUS)
12:04 – JBE KRUGER (RSA), Nick McCarthy, Ashley Hall (AUS)
13:20 – Tom Lehman (USA), An Byeong-Hun (KOR), DARREN FICHARDT (RSA)
13:53 – Jason Dufner (USA), BRANDEN GRACE (RSA), Bryson DeChambeau (USA)
14:04 – Russell Knox, Alex Noren (SWE), Ian Poulter
14:26 – Song Young-Han (KOR), David Horsey, DYLAN FRITTELLI (RSA)
15:48 – Henrik Stenson (SWE), Kim Si-Woo (KOR), Jordan Spieth (USA)
15:59 – LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN (RSA), Justin Rose, Justin Thomas (USA)
16:10 – Brooks Koepka (USA), Hideki Matsuyama (JPN), Tommy Fleetwood
16:32 – Richard Bland, SHAUN NORRIS (RSA), a-Luca Cianchetti (ITA)
