Cameron Smith and Scottie Scheffler make Open cut thanks to wonder shot and lucky one

Defending champion Cameron Smith produced a wonder shot and world No 1 Scottie Scheffler benefited from a lucky one to avoid missing the cut in the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool.

World No 1 Scottie Scheffler reacts after hitting his bunker shot at the last close to make the cut in the 151st Open at Royal Liverpool. Picture: Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images.

Standing on four-over-par, Smith was outside the mark as he stood over his second shot at the par-5 18th but, from 232 yards, the Australian knocked a utility club to a foot.

That stunning finish came shortly after Scheffler, who hasn’t missed a cut since last August, found himself perilously close to the face of a greenside bunker after being in the same position playing the last hole at the Hoylake venue.

But, helped by his ball hitting the ridge of the trap and taking the speed off it, the American managed to get it out to a similar distance, raising his arms in celebration after a run of five dropped shots in nine holes had threatened to see him make a rare early exit.

That fate, however, was suffered by 2021 champion Collin Morikawa, as well as other recent Claret Jug winners in Shane Lowry and Francesco Molinari. Phil Mickelson, the winner a decade ago, bowed out, too, as did fellow major winners Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas.

Though pleased with his second-round 71, it was always going to be an uphill struggle for Thomas following an opening 82. “I'm just making so many bonehead mistakes,” said the two-time PGA champion. “Making two doubles and a quad, that's eight year old, nine year old kind of stuff, not someone who's trying to win a British Open. You just can't do stuff like that. But I'll be good.”

On the back of this disappointment, Thomas looks as though he is going to have to rely on a pick from US captain Zach Johnson to play in the Ryder Cup in Rome in September. “I mean, it's not like I'm going to write him a love letter or anything,” he said of that possibility.

“I would like to think that my record is my best argument. I love the team events. I thrive in them. I just enjoy it. Playing with a partner could kind of ease me a little bit, relax me. I don't want to put him in this position. I hate even having to hope for a pick.

"This is the first time since I first qualified that I've had to rely on a captain's pick, and it's not fun, especially when you're trending the wrong way when other people are trending toward it. But I'm just hoping that I can finish this year out strong and my record speaks for itself, and I can, sorry (to the Europeans), but bring the cup home.”

Rory McIlroy, the winner at Hoylake in 2014, sits eight shots behind leader Brian Harman at the halfway stage, but the newly-crowned Genesis Scottish Open champion isn’t giving up hope of claiming the Claret Jug again at this venue.

“Depends what the conditions are tomorrow,” said McIlroy of heavy rain being forecast. “Obviously depends what Brian does, as well. Right now it's not quite out of my hands, but at the same time, I think if I can get to thee, four, five-under par tomorrow going into Sunday, I'll have a really good chance.”