British Open 2017: Live Leaderboard Results for Friday at Royal Birkdale

As expected, the weather in Southport, England, on Friday made for very difficult scoring conditions at the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club. High scores were the norm, as many players could not navigate the heavy winds.     

However, a few players managed to stay afloat on Friday with some solid performances, putting themselves in position to make a run during the weekend.

Here's a look at three of those golfers who survived the tournament's second day and could be in contention for the Claret Jug on Sunday.

Leaderboard

Zach Johnson

The 2015 Open Championship winner struggled through a bad opening round, shooting a five-over 75, but he bounced back strong on Friday as he managed a four-under 66 to get to one over for the tournament, clearing the cut line by a few shots.

Johnson nearly had a bogey-free round but made one on the 16th hole. Still, Johnson made five birdies on the day, including one on the 18th, where he sank a long putt to close his round.

The 41-year-old has won two majors (the other being the 2007 Masters) and has a fantastic Open track record. In the last six years, Johnson has five top-20 finishes to his name, including three in the top 10.

The veteran knows how to navigate bad weather and links golf courses, so keep an eye on him this weekend.

Sergio Garcia

Garcia finished with a one-under 69 on the day to get to two over for the tournament. That overall score doesn't look good on the surface, but with the way the course has been playing on Friday, it's unlikely that the eventual leader is out of Garcia's striking distance.

The 37-year-old had a bit of a volatile round, as he had three bogeys in addition to his eagle and two birdies. He missed a short putt on the 18th to close with a bogey, but the 2017 Masters winner had the putt of the day at Royal Birkdale, as he managed an eagle on the par-four fifth.

If Garcia's putter cooperates consistently during the weekend, he could certainly make a big move up the leaderboard.

Matt Kuchar

Kuchar, who was tied for the opening-round lead with Brooks Koepka and Jordan Spieth after shooting a five-under 65, played well on Friday and finished his day with a one-over 71.

Although Kuchar didn't finish in the red numbers, the fact that he was able to survive and nearly shoot even part is an impressive feat, especially considering that only three golfers (Johnson, Garcia and Jamie Lovemark) had finished with under-par rounds when Kuchar hit the clubhouse following his second day.

In fact, Kuchar was one under on the day and in sole possession of the lead at six under heading into the 16th hole. However, he made bogey on the 16th and 18th holes, leaving him at four under for the tournament.

Kuchar was a popular pick to do well at The Open, and it looks like those prognostications are coming to fruition.