Open Championship: Friday's five things to remember

Golf Monthly Editor at Large Bill Elliott gives his five best memories from day two of the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club

Tiger Woods
HOYLAKE, ENGLAND - JULY 18: Tiger Woods of the United States and his caddie Joe LaCava during the second round of The 143rd Open Championship at Royal Liverpool on July 18, 2014 in Hoylake, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
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Golf Monthly Editor at Large Bill Elliott gives his five best memories from day two of the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club

Golf Monthly Editor at Large Bill Elliott gives his five best memories from day two of the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club....

1. Breakfast in the clubhouse. Relaxed atmosphere, no need for a tie or jacket. Very pretty waitresses. Excellent Bury Black Pudding. One downside, no fried eggs, only scrambled which in my view is basically a waste of a decent hen's time. It's a tough life.

2. Tiger Woods struggles. Tiger doesn't give up. Tiger battles and returns a 77, getting up and down to make the cut at the last. He may not be at his best but, hell, no-one has ever tried harder in the history of this daft, old game.

3. Tea mid-afternoon in the garden back at the house, the 18th fairway meandering just outside as the sun bakes down. Is there a better spot in the world at this moment. I think not.

4. The heat. Hoylake becomes a sauna and then becomes an inferno when I'm obliged to stand with members of the public to cross a fairway. It makes travelling on the Tube in August seem cool in every sense of that four-letter word.

5. Rory McIlroy playing at his serence, focused, powerful best. Much was made about his apparent aversion to Fridays but no longer. The Wee Man shredded that particular hoodoo with as impressive 66 as has ever been seen across this blessed links. Roll on the weekend.

Nick Bonfield
Features Editor

Nick Bonfield joined Golf Monthly in 2012 after graduating from Exeter University and earning an NCTJ-accredited journalism diploma from News Associates in Wimbledon. He is responsible for managing production of the magazine, sub-editing, writing, commissioning and coordinating all features across print and online. Most of his online work is opinion-based and typically centres around the Majors and significant events in the global golfing calendar. Nick has been an avid golf fan since the age of ten and became obsessed with the professional game after watching Mike Weir and Shaun Micheel win The Masters and PGA Championship respectively in 2003. In his time with Golf Monthly, he's interviewed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jose Maria Olazabal, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Billy Horschel and has ghost-written columns for Westwood, Wayne Riley, Matthew Southgate, Chris Wood and Eddie Pepperell. Nick is a 12-handicap golfer and his favourite courses include Old Head, Sunningdale New, Penha Longha, Valderrama and Bearwood Lakes. If you have a feature pitch for Nick, please email nick.bonfield@futurenet.com with 'Pitch' in the subject line. Nick is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade M1 Fairway wood: TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid: Ping Crossover Irons (4-9): Nike Vapor Speed Wedges: Cleveland CBX Full Face, 56˚, Titleist Vokey SM4, 60˚ Putter: testing in progress! Ball: TaylorMade TP5x