Spieth strikes to create gap at the top

 Jordan Spieth holed a putt for eagle at the long 15th hole to move to seven under par in the second round of the British Open on Friday, extending his lead over the rest of the field.

Spieth, one of three joint leaders overnight on five-under, had dropped back to -4 at the turn on a wet and miserable afternoon at Royal Birkdale.

But in an eventful back nine, he produced back-to-back birdies at 11 and 12 despite some wayward play at times, before a bogey at the par-3 14th and then an eagle three at the next hole.

His fellow American Matt Kuchar, another of the overnight leaders, posted a second-round 71 to sit in the clubhouse on four under par, with England's Ian Poulter on three-under after a 70.

Brooks Koepka, the US Open champion who also shot 65 on Thursday, had bogeys at the 6th and 13th holes to drop back to three-under, level with England's Richard Bland.
Richie Ramsay of Scotland is in the clubhouse on two under par.

"Conditions were really hard today, certainly what we expect coming over here," said the Florida-born Kuchar, whose best finish in a major to date is tied third in the Masters in 2012.
"It was nearly the opposite wind of what we had yesterday. So the course played completely differently. It was quite a trying, challenging day."

On Thursday McIlroy was five-over through his first six holes -- on Friday he was three-under par after the same stretch.

There were dropped shots at 13 and 15 but a birdie at the long 17th helped complete a largely satisfactory day for the world number four.

"To be in after two days and be under-par for this championship after the way I started, I'm ecstatic with that," said McIlroy.

Playing alongside McIlroy, former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel had at one point shot to the top of the leaderboard when he followed his opening round of 66 by claiming a birdie at the short fourth.

But things quickly unravelled for the South African, who had two double-bogeys and five bogeys as he ended up eight-over-par for the day and at +4 for the championship.

Nevertheless, with the projected cut standing at four-over, Schwartzel remains hopeful of making the weekend, as does world number one Dustin Johnson, who is three-over after a 72. Masters champion Sergio Garcia shot a 69 to move to two-over while his fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm (+3) is another set to make the cut.

The same cannot, however, be said of former world number one Jason Day, with the Australian shooting 76 to sit perilously at five-over par.

Last year's runner-up Phil Mickelson is heading home -- he had a disastrous 77 in the second round and is +10 in total.