British Open 2016: Leaderboard Scores, Highlights and Cut Line from Friday

Five-time major champion Phil Mickelson will carry a one-shot lead over Henrik Stenson into the weekend in the 2016 Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland.

Several notable players failed to qualify for the final two days of action, though. Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Shane Lowry, Hideki Matsuyama and Louis Oosthuizen were among the golfers who failed to reach the four-over cut line during Friday's play.  

Let's check out how the top of the leaderboard shapes up after two rounds. That's followed by a recap of the action following a more challenging second day on the links course.

Tournament Leaderboard

Day 2 Recap

Although Mickelson couldn't match his record-tying 63 from the opening round, he put together another strong showing Friday to remain alone atop the leaderboard. His two-under 69 featured four birdies and two bogeys, with his first of the tournament coming on the 12th hole.

His performance through two days represents quite a turnaround for the 46-year-old veteran. He missed the cut in each of the first two major tournaments this season and hasn't cracked the top 10 on one of golf's biggest stages since the 2015 Masters.

Dropping putts like the one The Open highlighted on No. 14 suggests he has staying power heading into the weekend:

Afterward, Steve DiMeglio of USA Today passed along comments from the 2013 British Open champion about his mindset so far in the event:

"

I really enjoy the challenge that this weather and these elements provide. I thought it was a good round to back up the low round yesterday. I played kind of stress-free golf again. I made one or two bad swings that led to bogeys. But for the most part I kept the ball in play and played kind of stress-free golf.

"

The tricky conditions, which only got more difficult as the day went on, ensured he couldn't pull away from the field with another super-low round, though. Nine players are within six shots of the lead, and striking distance might extend beyond that given how difficult the course could become.

Stenson put together the day's best round with a five-under 65 to get himself in contention. It's a far cry from his second round at the U.S. Open last month when he decided to withdraw after posting a 10-over score through 16 holes, citing minor neck and knee issues.

The 40-year-old Swedish star is on the short list of the best active players without a major title on his career resume. He's one of the world's purest ball-strikers when in top form, and that's what he will need in order to succeed over the next two days.

Interestingly, Mike O'Malley of Golf Digest noted Stenson's success this week is rare compared to the other top-ranked players in the world:

Soren Kjeldsen and Keegan Bradley are tied for third at three strokes off the pace being set by Mickelson. That said, the difference between them and the top two is they haven't had a really low round yet. If they can mix in a 64 or 65 over the weekend, the victory should be within reach.

Bradley will be looking for more shots like his birdie putt at the seventh, as highlighted by The Open:

At the opposite end of the spectrum, a few high-profile players needed some late success just to punch their ticket to the weekend. Sneaking in just under the cut line at four over par leaves them 14 strokes back, but it's better than an early exit.

The Open showcased birdies that this year's Masters champion, Danny Willett, and the two-time winner at Augusta, Bubba Watson, needed to survive:

Meanwhile, Jordan Spieth also finished right on the number, but it was mostly a forgettable afternoon for the Texas native. He hit just 43 percent of the fairways and 39 percent of the greens in regulation en route to a four-over round.

Most of his day went something like this, as shared by The Open:

Looking ahead, Royal Troon likely has a few more tricks up its sleeve for the weekend, especially if the wind kicks up. Regardless, Mickelson has looked locked in through two days. It's no surprise he used the phrase "stress-free golf" in his post-round remarks, because that's exactly how it looks.

The competition will be plentiful over the next two days, though. Along with the players mentioned above, other top contenders include Zach Johnson, who won last year's title, Charl Schwartzel and Sergio Garcia. The group will grow if the conditions toughen and Mickelson falters.

All told, expect an entertaining finish to the season's third major.