By Gary Anderson

Rory McIlroy will be content tonight as he leads the Open Championship by four shots ©Getty Images Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy put in another masterful display around the links at Royal Liverpool to take a four-shot lead into the weekend at the Open Championship as Tiger Woods struggled to a round of 77 to just make the cut at two-over-par.

McIlroy shot a second consecutive round of 66 to sit on 12-under-par for the tournament, four shots clear of American Dustin Johnson , who shot the lowest score of the week so far, picking up seven birdies and no bogeys on his way to a 65.

Johnson's compatriots Rickie Fowler and Ryan Moore join South African duo Louis Oosthuizen and Charles Schwartzel, Italian Francesco Molinari and Spain's Sergio Garcia a further two shots back on six-under-par.

McIlroy began the day determined to buck the recent trend that has seen him follow up good opening rounds with poor scores on the Friday of a tournament,

It did not look good for the 25-year-old on the first, however, as he began his round with a bogey.

But it did not take him long to find his rhythm as picked up three birdies before the turn and then went on to banish his Friday hoodoo with further birdies at the 10th, 15th, 17th and 18th.

Rory McIlroy was in fine form on the greens at Royal Liverpool today holing seven birdies ©Getty ImagesRory McIlroy was in fine form on the greens at Royal Liverpool today holing seven birdies ©Getty Images



"My second rounds this year have been terrible and there isn't really any explanation," said McIlroy, aiming to become only the third player to win three major titles by the age of 25, after Woods and Jack Nicklaus of the United States.

"Hopefully I put it to bed today.

"It was just another solid a round of golf.

"Everything seems to be on the right track.

"I've always said, whenever you play this well you always wonder how you've played so badly before.

"And whenever you've play so badly, you always wonder how you play so well.

"Golf is a very fickle game.

"I'm happy where my game is at the minute and hopefully I can just keep up the solid play for another couple of days."

Dustin Johnson scored the lowest round of the week so far to sit two shots off the lead ©Getty Images Dustin Johnson scored the lowest round of the week so far to sit two shots off the lead
©Getty Images



Woods is chasing Nicklaus' record of 18 major wins but his 15th will not come at Royal Liverpool as he lies 14 shots behind McIlroy after another frustrating day.

The 38-year-old's birdie at the 18th came after a round that began with three dropped shots after the first two holes followed by 14 pars and a disastrous triple-bogey at the 17th.

Defending champion Phil Mickelson shot a level-par round of 70 for the second day in-a-row.

Reigning US Open champion Martin Kaymer of Germany sits at one-over-par, while US Masters champion Bubba Watson of the United States continued his poor record in the Open Championship by missing the cut along with the likes of England's Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter and two-time Open champion Ernie Els of South Africa.

Due to the forecast for thunderstorms to hit the North West of England tomorrow, organisers have taken the unusual step of sending the players out in groups of three rather than two.

The Open Championship will also use a two-tee start for the first time in its history with play scheduled to start at 9.00am British Summer Time from the 1st and 10th tees.

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