Tony Finau safely made the cut at The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland after carding a solid 3-under-par 68 in round two on Friday.
Finau entered the second round at 1-under but made a bogey on the first hole. The Utah native followed with back-to-back birdies on the next two holes and eagled No. 12 with a 35-foot putt to get to 4-under. The cutline is projected to be 2-over par.
The leader in the clubhouse when Finau finished his round was Brian Harman at 8-under. Haotong Li caught Harmon atop the leaderboard after 14 holes. World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler was tied for third at 6-under after six holes. Harmon fired a 6-under par 65.
Finau had a chance to go to 5-under with another spectacular tee shot on the tough 222-yard par-3 16th. Finau birdied that hole on Thursday and had just 7 feet for birdie Friday but he missed with a runout putt that settled 3 feet beyond the cup.
Finau finished his round with pars on 17 and 18 amid a downpour of rain to set up a solid weekend for himself in the winnowed field. He is one stroke ahead of his childhood friend and local Northern Ireland favorite, Rory McIlroy, who finished with a 69 and is at 3-under for the tournament.
Players who finished at 5-under par midday at Portrush when Finau signed his card included Harris English, Tyrrell Hatton, Rasmus Hojgaard and Robert MacIntyre.
Tony Finau of the United States walks the fifth green during the second round of the British Open at the Royal Portrush Golf Club, Northern Ireland, Friday, July 18, 2025. | AP