Cameron Smith of Australia takes the halfway lead | Round 2 Full Highlights - Dustin Johnson shoots a 67

Phil Mickelson faces the press after his 1st Round in The Open - Phil shot a 72 for Even par

Spaniard Wins Scottish Open - leading to the next major

Rafael Cabrerra-Bello of Spain won the European Tour's 2017 Scottish Open at the Dundonald Links in Troon,Ayrshire.Rafa finished with a remarkable score of 64 for the fourth round,finishing the tournament at thirteen under par and tied with the young Englishman Callum Shinkwin.He beat Shinkwin in the first hole of a playoff.Several golfers were tied for fourth,including American Matt Kuchar.Fellow American Rickie Fowler finished tied for ninth at -7.
Next on the calendar is The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in Southport,England,the year's third major,which will see a full field of international stars.Henrik Stenson of Sweden is the defending champion,having prevailed over Phil Mickelson last year.The Open Championship starts on Thursday 20 July at Royal Birkdale,a Liverpool area course.

Tiger Woods Electrifies British Crowd

He may not be dominant again,but Tiger Woods has definitively rediscovered his old competitive fire,taking the British Open crowd along with him.On his final hole of the second round,Woods pinpointed a superb birdie from a bunker,igniting the British fans and impressing the gaggle of photographers huddled nearby,eager to snag an image of greatness reborn.He modestly downplayed the shot afterward,saying it wasn't that hard as it was from a slope in the bunker.British bunkers are like lunar craters,however.There's really nothing easy about getting out of them,let alone holing from one.
Woods shot his second consecutive 67 in the tournament,placing him in third position with his six under par behind fellow American Brandt Snedeker at -10 and Australian Adam Scott at -9.The venerable Tom Watson, 62,another favorite of the British fans,rallied at the end of his round,ensuring himself another weekend at the oldest major tournament in professional golf.The Open Championship,as it is formally known,is being held at the Royal Lytham &St.Annes Golf Club.
Leader Brandt Snedeker,31,who is from Nashville,Tennessee,said I love playing golf over here.I've been putting great all year.I knew if I got on the greens,I'd have a good chance.The soft-spoken Snedeker,a graduate of Vanderbilt University,equaled an Open Championship record low score of 130 for the first two rounds after his six under par 64 on Friday.
ESPN is carrying the tournament,which is being underwritten by luxury watchmaker Rolex.
Update:On Saturday,Adam Scott seized the lead from Brandt Snedeker with three straight birdies,ending the day with a two under par 68,-11 for the tournament.Snedeker was tied for second  at -7 with Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell,his close friend from their college golfing days.Tiger Woods was in fourth,distinguished by his 30 foot putt at the sixth hole,and goes into the final round still in contention,five strokes back of the lead in his quest for the claret jug.
The golf club adjoins the town of Lytham St.Annes,Lancashire.It is the 11th time the Open Championship has been played there in the tournament's 141-year history.

Out of the Quagmire:Mickelson Brilliant at Scottish Open

Phil Mickelson's career seemed to be on vacation.Last week,he didn't even make the cut at The Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia.Before that,he only tied for 65th place at the U.S. Open and had withdrawn from the Memorial Tournament because of fatigue,a reason that was mocked by TV commentators.On Friday,however,the 42-year old Arizona State alumnus launched an eight under par 64 at the Scottish Open on the Castle Stuart links course at Inverness.Mickelson made an eagle and six birdies on the British style golf course.It's not to the level I would like yet,Mickelson admitted,but I get closer each day.
Mickelson's eagle two was from 60 yards out on his first hole.This level of play was in stark relief to his previous eight rounds over par-the worst stretch in his career.I'm really glad I added this tournament,the popular San Diegan remarked on the European Tour website,and it's very helpful to see my game progress so quickly.Mickelson is preparing for next weekend's British Open,the third major tournament on the PGA Tour calendar.
Swede Alexander Noren topped the leaderboard at Inverness,followed by Argentina's Ricardo Gonzalez.Mickelson was tied for 19th position after Friday's round in the overcast but dry conditions,seven under par for the tournament and five strokes off the lead.
Update:Phil Mickelson had another sharp round on Saturday at the Scottish Open,shooting a seven under par 65,including eight birdies,and moving up to a tie for fifth place on the leaderboard from 19th.Italy's Francesco Molinari took the lead at -17.Mickelson is now -14 for the tournament and three strokes behind Molinari.