Dave Tindall Open blog

Dave Tindall is our man at The Open. Follow his blog from the second day at Royal Lytham.

Dave Tindall is our man at The Open. Follow his blog from the second day at Royal Lytham

2105: So that's it for another day. Very mixed for my five tips. Dufner is clearly the shining light or should that be saving grace after his afternoon 66 put him at four-under. He's now tied fifth, six off the lead but my hopes are high given that the unusual softness of the course is clearly helping him thrive. He'd missed the cut in his previous two Opens played on bouncy tracks. Hunter Mahan is sort of hanging in there for an each-way push at +1 (tied 40th) while Rickie Fowler just scraped into the weekend at +3 after his unfortunate double bogey at the last. Justin Rose left it too late and despite playing the back nine in -3, finished at +4 - a shot too many. Also missing the cut was Ben Curtis, who had a shocker. He finished at +9.

2040: Here are Sky Bet's odds after R2: 11/4 Woods, 3/1 Scott, 9/2 Snedeker, 14/1 McDowell, 16/1 Dufner, 20/1 Donald, Kuchar, 22/1 Lawrie, 33/1 Els, 40/1 Olesen.

2030: The cut will be +3 so that's good news for the likes of Lee Westwood, Rickie Fowler and Tom Watson.

2000: Can't help thinking that Thomas Aiken, currently tied ninth, looks like a hybrid of Alice Cooper and Mathew Goggin.

1945: Dufner finishes with a par to post an excellent 66 and finish at four-under, currently tied fourth. A bloke on Twitter pulls me up for repeated mentions of him being my 50/1 tip. Well, I have to get excited about Dufner given that the others are having a bit of a 'mare. Anyway, well done Dufner, whom I tipped at 50/1. Hopefully my 50/1 tip can keep it going on the weekend and maybe pull off victory at 50/1. He was 50/1 pre-tournament by the way so I'm very happy that I backed him at 50/1. #50/1

1940: Just been to the mixed zone to see Tiger, Ryo Ishikawa, Martin Kaymer and Graeme McDowell. Whilst McDowell is speaking, Tom Watson holes a huge putt to finish at +3 and that should get him into the weekend. There are a huge number of Japanese press and photographers waiting for Ishikawa and those snapping away are delighted that he and Woods conduct their press conferences at the same time as it allows them the chance to capture both men together.

1910: Just went outside to watch Tiger play 18. Absolutely packed so I had to go on the "ooohs" of the crowd when he played his second, "oohs" that said he'd found sand. With the media tent just a stone throw's away, I headed back in and saw Woods hole his bunker shot for birdie! That puts Tiger to -6 and in solo third - four shots back - after a second straight 67.

1855: Just fulfilling an Open tradition. The one where Harry 'The Hat' buys us all champagne. Golf was on in the hospitality tent although their seemed a refusal to show any shot hit by Jason Dufner. He's still -4 though so presume he's still playing nicely.

1755: The cut mark keeps switching between +2 and +3. Weather calm so hard to call it either way.

1745: Jason Dufner now tied third after a birdie at 10. That's his fourth birdie in five holes. I have a feeling these unusually soft Open conditions are playing right into his hands.

1720: Just did my latest Sky Sports News Radio interview (usual mixed performance) and I have a slight running gag going with presenter Jason Thornton about the fact that I've tipped Jason Dufner at 50s and they share the same Christian name. Okay, it's not that funny but hear me out. Jason W just asked me for a name to come through on the weekend and naturally I gave him Dufner's. And just after putting the phone down old Jase rolled in his third successive birdie. Get in! He's now -3 overall and in a tie for fifth.

1650: Adam Scott making sure this is no one-horse race. He's now -8 after 12. Tiger lurking in third at -5 and has just found the green at the par three ninth hole.

1630: Just been to Brandt Snedeker's press conference and he comes across as a really likeable guy. Describes himself as "happy-go-lucky" and reveals that he has a 16-month-old baby girl who keeps him in his place. He loves the UK and he and some mates once came on a tour here and played links golf at Prestwick, the home of the very first Open. Snedeker admits he's had some lucky bounces so far but says with a smile: "I don't feel guilty about it." Curiously he also denies a rumour that he once won a combine harvester!

1555: I once asked Butch Harmon about Brandt Snedeker's Masters chances and Butch was concerned he played too fast. The big question is whether can keep his rhythm this weekend. What happens when the first bogey arrives? He's coming in now for his press interview...

1525: Is Brandt Snedeker ever going to post a bogey? At 18 he has to chip out of the rough but he gets up and down with a wedge and a putt and signs for a superb 64. That's 10-under, no bogeys and a current lead of five shots. Sky Bet currently have him as the 3/1 favourite ahead of 5/1 Tiger (currently -3 after 3) and 6/1 Adam Scott (-5 after 6).

1455: Busy scene at the mixed zone. Rory was just leaving as I arrived but posed for photos with corporate types when he left and did a good job of smiling. This coming after a round of five-over don't forget. Phil Mickelson sounded very deflated. "I don't know what to say," was his mantra. Said he's not played well for two months and it's "frustrating". Geoff Ogilvy and Padraig Harrington also talking away in there. Probably two of the brightest and articulate golfers around so always good to listen to them.

1430: Off to the mixed zone for a while to see some player interviews.

1415: Spots of rain outside now. That means more softening of the course but deeper puddles in bunkers.

1405: To get from range to practice putting green, the players have to walk over a bridge. Would be much more fun if they could do this to music. Just saw Ernie Els striding over and mentally played Benny Hill's 'Ernie (The Fastest Milkman In The West)' song in my head. Real thing would have been much better though.

1350: Just watched Hunter Mahan finish off at 18. Nice drive down the left, fine approach to 15 feet but just missed birdie putt left despite being given the line by John Senden. Both finished at +1. Decent effort by Mahan as he played the last six in three-under to safely make the cut. Needs a big weekend charge now although he has a reputation for fast finishes.

1315: Better news for us Hunter Mahan backers. He's just gone birdie-birdie-par-birdie from 13 to 16 to get back to +1. Cut currently at +2 but could slip to +3.

1305: Snedeker now two shots clear. There weren't too many reasons to back him here to be honest. Last three starts were MC, WD, T38. Open form is MC-MC-MC.

1245: Have just looked at the scoreboard and called Rickie Fowler a naughty name. That's what sixes on both par fives does.

1250: I always thought Brandt Snedeker would do well in a drier Open when the course looked browner. Something to do with his hair which makes him look like Johnny Miller in the 1970s when we used to have hot weather in this country.

1235: If you've forgotten your suncream, hay fever tablets, headache pills etc, there is a bloke called "Medicine Man" down near the 17th selling everything you need. Ironically, this is the first Open since 2005 at which I haven't had a migraine. As fellow sufferers will tell you, I can't begin to explain what good news this is.

1221: Brandt Snedeker has just curled in a putt at 7 to take the outright lead at -7. Earlier this week Snedeker scored a hole-in-one at the par four 16th, giving him a rare albatross. I've just been there to see if monster-hitting Gary Woodland could drive the green and maybe repeat the feat but, disappointingly, his tee-shot rolled into a front left bunker. Oh, talking of albatrosses, Greg Owen once had one here in 2001. Today when I walked outside I heard a huge roar at 18 and it turned out that Owen had holed his approach shot. Not an albatross this time but the eagle is almost certainly going to put him into the weekend.

1220: Sometimes hard to know what to wear at an Open as the weather changes so much. Think a jumper over a t-shirt is about right at the moment although, after reports of rain coming in, umbrella/waterproofs might be the call.

1125: Off outside to watch some action.

1120: Hat-trick of birdies for world number one Luke Donald at 4, 5 and 6 and he's up to -2.

1105: Just to confirm the cut details. It's the top 70 and ties that go through to the weekend. There is no 10 shot rule.

1045: Have run out of gotime puns for Fowler now. He's now gone bogey, birdie, triple bogey, birdie, birdie. Now +2 overall and fighting hard.

1030: Just checked and the morning starters are a collective 85 over par. And this with very little wind!

1021: Peter Hanson birdies the opening hole for the second day running and moves up to -4 and into tied fourth.

1020: Sigh. Fowler takes a triple bogey at three. #MEGAWOETIME

1000: Rickie hits back with a birdie at two. #SHOWTIME.

0940: More #WOETIME than #GOTIME for Rickie at the first. It's an opening bogey.

0930: Need a big day from my tips with main hopes being pinned to Mahan, Dufner and Fowler. Young Rickie is all set to tee off. In trademark fashion he tweets #GOTIME just before he heads to the first tee.

0920: Rory looked sharp in his short-game warm-up this morning. Can he take it to the course and hunt down Adam Scott's overnight lead of six-under? He's currently three-under and has just teed off at the first.

0900: Here's some inside info. All journalists in the press tent get a little card with a £30 food allowance on it. Sounds good although media tent cafe prices are up there with service station ones. You can blow most of it on the full English in the morning and then be left high and dry once you've had a few bottles of water at £2.20 a throw. We've located the problem though and colleague Matt Cooper purchased a six-pack for under £2 at the local newsagents on the way into the course. #beatingthesystem

0840: Oh, look. There's my friend Stephanie Wei interviewing Rickie Fowler on TV. Hopefully a great day is in store.. for my 40/1 tip. Oh, and her too. I think we were two of the earliest golf folk on Twitter and hence struck up a virtual friendship before finally saying hello at the 2010 Open.

0820: Skies getting bluer all the time and there's a big crowds crammed around the practice green where Padraig Harrington is warming up with a few chips (not the greasy type).

0800: Just did an interview with Sky Sports News radio. I started talking about levels of rough and when the line was repeated by anchor Chris Cooper I panicked a bit and said, "yes, levels of rough.... erm, like in any British city." Clearly spending time in Blackpool had put that idea in my head.

0705: Quick peak out of the window and it's obvious that it's rained overnight. The good thing though is that the skies look to be clearing now and some blue is starting to poke through.

0700: Alarm call not quite so early today. The thrill of seeing the first shot on day two clearly isn't the same as it is on day one when the metaphorical tape is cut and the tournament opens.