HOYLAKE, England — World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler had to make a tough up-and-down from the bunker for birdie. Defending champion Cameron Smith pulled off a perfect 6-iron from the fairway for a tap-in eagle.

Both came through with great shots at the 18th to make the cut at the British Open on Friday, contrary to a slew of other major champions who are going home for the weekend.

Dustin Johnson never had a chance after shooting in the 80s. Justin Thomas couldn’t overcome what he called “bonehead” mistakes. Collin Morikawa made a late run that was not enough.

The cut at Royal Liverpool was as low as 2 over during the day, and ended with 76 players at 3 over or better.

Smith came into the final hole at 4-over par, needing at least a birdie. After finding the fairway with a good drive off the tee, he hit a superb 6-iron from 232 yards out to just over a foot from the hole for his eagle.

“It was a good shot,” Smith said. “I hit plenty of good shots today that didn’t get kind of that reward, so it was nice to finish off like that. Given the circumstance, as well, probably an even better shot.”

Smith was on the cut line after making a birdie at the par-4 12th, but dropped back after a double at the par-4 14th and a bogey at the par-4 16th. He finished with a 1-over par 72.

“Was just kind of another one of those days,” said Smith, the Open winner at St. Andrews last year. “But it was good to end like that for sure.”

Scheffler made four bogeys on the back nine and arrived at the 18th needing a birdie to keep alive his streak of not missing any cuts this season. He has finished 12th or better in his last 19 tournaments, though his last win was in March at the Players Championship.

Scheffler raised both arms after hitting it close from the bunker to secure his 4. He had gotten unlucky when his second shot hit near the lip of the bunker and bounced back into it.

Thomas, a two-time major champion, struggled over the first two days at Hoylake and finished at 11 over for the tournament. He shot 11-over 82 on Thursday in a round that included a 9 on the last hole.

“Making two doubles and a quad, that’s 8-year-old, 9-year-old kind of stuff, not someone who’s trying to win a British Open,” Thomas said.

Johnson, a Masters champion, shot 10-over-par 81 after opening with a 3-over 74. He made six bogeys and two double bogeys on Friday.

Morikawa, the 2021 Open champion, birdied two of the last four holes but finished at 4-over par for the tournament. Shane Lowry, the 2019 British Open champion, made four bogeys and a double to finish at 7 over.

Tony Finau and Justin Rose ended at 6 over, Ernie Els was at 7 over, Phil Mickelson at 9 over and John Daly at 12 over.

RORY McILROY is nine shots off the halfway lead at the British Open.

So, the tournament favorite was asked after his second round, what will he need to do over the weekend to catch leader Brian Harman?

“I think more of the same,” McIlroy said.

Indeed, McIlroy is pretty happy with his two days’ work at Royal Liverpool, having followed an even-par 71 on Thursday with a 70 in pleasant conditions on Friday.

A defiant fist pump after making an 8-foot birdie putt on the 18th was an indication that McIlroy feels he’s still in contention for a first major title in nine years, since lifting the claret jug here at Hoylake.

After all, positioned in a tie for 11th, there aren’t too many players between the Northern Irishman and the lead.

“Depends what the conditions are tomorrow,” McIlroy said, in a nod to wet and windy weather forecast for Saturday and Sunday. “Obviously depends what Brian does, as well.

“Right now it’s not quite out of my hands. But at the same time, I think if I can get to 3, 4, 5-under par tomorrow going into Sunday, I’ll have a really good chance.”

McIlroy’s putting will have to improve over the weekend. There were echoes of his missed putt from three feet at No. 8 on Thursday in the way he slid by a birdie chance from a little over four feet at the third hole of his second round.

Still, he’d picked up two birdies – on Nos. 1 and 5 – by the time he reached the turn, only to give them back on what he described as two of the easier holes on the course, the par-4 11th and the par-5 15th.

TOMMY FLEETWOOD is back in the final pairing at a major championship, this time in his home country and about 45 minutes from where he grew up.

The last time was at the British Open in 2019, when Fleetwood tried – and failed – to spoil home favorite Shane Lowry’s party on Sunday at Royal Portrush.

Now Fleetwood’s the guy the crowd will be going wild for on Saturday at Royal Liverpool, which is just down the coast from his home town of Southport. Just like four years ago, he’ll have to do the chasing to claim the claret jug and win his first major title.

Fleetwood scrambled down the stretch to shoot an even-par 71 in the second round and get into the last group alongside Brian Harman, who has a five-stroke lead – the largest after 36 holes at the Open since 2010.

The 32-year-old Englishman still fancies his chances.

“At the end of the day, if somebody said you’re going out in the last group on Saturday, I don’t care what the situation was or what anybody had shot,” Fleetwood said. “I’ll take it.”

It was an emotional day for Fleetwood, who was playing on the one-year anniversary of his mother’s death. The support and ovations he received on every hole, but especially from those in the big grandstand surrounding the 18th green, blew him away.

Harman, who will resume on 10-under par and as the new tournament favorite, will be up against more than just Fleetwood on Saturday.

“They’ve been insanely amazing,” Fleetwood said of the spectators who were more boisterous as a day of changing weather wore on. “Loved every minute of playing in front of them, and I can’t thank everybody enough, can’t have asked for any more from anybody with all the support they’re giving me out here.”