British Open 2014 Scores: Biggest Surprises from Day 2

Calmed by soothing winds and hazy sunshine, the 2014 Open Championship at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake presented no real surprises to its international field of golf’s best.

The wet and wild weather we expect from a British Open was nowhere to be found, leading to a rain of low scores.

Instead, the surprises came in the form of stellar play by a few relative unknowns, wayward play by a two-time majors winner and sheer excellence by a worldwide favorite.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson played as expected. Woods barely made the cut after shooting 77, while Mickelson shot a pleasant two-under 70 and sits at even for the tournament.

Both are well back of the leader Rory McIlroy, who stands at 12 under par.

Check out the big surprises from Day 2 at Hoylake. They foretell a great weekend to come at the 2014 Open Championship.

Ryan Moore

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

The way he made putts, Ryan Moore looked like he was playing darts instead of golf.

Moore has had an exceptional season, including a win at the CIMB Classic and six top-10 finishes.

But he missed the cut at the Masters and was tied for 48th at the U.S. Open, so there was no real indication he would step up at Hoylake.

Instead, he surprised the field by shooting a four-under 68 that pushed him into a tie for third place at six-under par. 

George Coetzee

Jon Super/Associated Press

It was a surprise to see the little-known South African setting the pace on the second day.

But he used the winds at Hoylake to his advantage as he surged to five-under par with a 69. For a time, he actually held the lead in the clubhouse after his early round.

Coetzee hasn’t played much on the PGA tour but has won six times worldwide since he turned pro in 2007.

It would be shocking should he hold his position by the tournament’s end. His best finish at an Open Championship was 15th in 2011.

The Italian Stallions

Associated Press

Edoardo and Francesco Molinari

For a time it looked like the Italians were going to dominate the top of the leaderboard.

The Molinari brothers, Francesco and Edoardo, accompanied by 21-year-old Matteo Manassero, simply played excellent links golf to stay in contention going into the weekend.

Edoardo finished the day in a tie for 15th, and Manassero, who shot 67 the first day, dropped into a tie for 19th.

Meanwhile, Francesco continued his torrid pace by shooting a two-under 70.

At six under for the tournament, Francesco, the more rotund of the two brothers, is tied for third. With five wins in his career, he finished tied for ninth in the 2013 Open Championship.

Said Francesco about playing against his brother (per The Associated Press via ABC News), "I saw the leaderboard, but it's a tough course so you have to focus on what you are doing rather than the others are doing, even if it's your brother."

Sergio Garcia

Peter Morrison/Associated Press

Are you surprised that Sergio Garcia is once again in reach of his first major title?

How about that he may have made the best shot so far at the Open?  

Either way, the fiery Spaniard who has thrilled and disappointed us so often during his career is a few chip shots from that evasive first title.

After going 68-70, he is now tied for third at six under par.

Garcia's best finish at an Open was 2007 when he held a six-shot lead only to implode on Sunday.

2014 has been an excellent year for him, as he has scored in the top-10 six times in 10 tournaments. Statistically, he ranks sixth in greens in regulation and first in scoring average.

The most surprising stat is his rank of 28th in strokes gained-putting. Over the last three years he has actually become a very good putter. 

Should he continue his excellent play, don’t be surprised to see Garcia standing at the podium holding the Claret Jug.

Bubba Watson

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

The big lefty is not so much a surprise as he is a letdown.

We just expect more from the two-time Masters champ who shot 72 on Friday to miss the cut at plus four.

At times it looked like he just gave up because the course didn’t fit his particular game. Well, Bubba, you have to shape your game to the course just as you do that marvelous controlled slice.

What was Bubba's take on his lackluster performance? As tweeted by Golf Digest, "As long as my wife loves me and my child thinks daddy is the greatest, then I'm good to go."

Meanwhile, that other Watson, the 64-year-old five-time Open champ named Tom, will be playing on the weekend after rounds of 73-73.

Bubba could learn a few things from his older namesake.

Rory McIlroy

Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

So much for Freaky Fridays.

After taking the first-day lead with a 66, Rory McIlroy shed his demons while posting another brilliant 66 and taking a solid four-stroke lead heading into the weekend.

Going into Friday, McIlroy had the ignominious ranking of 181st in scoring on the second day of a tournament. At last week’s Scottish Open, he went from a 64 on the first day to a 78 on Friday. 

Instead of succumbing to the norm, he pummeled those stats like he did almost every drive down the fairway.

With Tiger and Phil wallowing in mediocrity, Jason Sobel at Golf Channel tweeted about Rory's efforts: "Rory McIlroy posts 66 to take a lead into the weekend. Not to make a major proclamation, but feels like a changing-of-the-guard sort of day."

His second day included seven birdies, and at this rate, McIlroy could be hoisting the Claret Jug on Sunday and holding the third major title of a career grand slam.