Jordan Spieth, Willett avoid Open cut

Jordan Spieth and Danny Willett were among those to scrape into the weekend at The Open as the adverse weather played havoc with the afternoon starters at Royal Troon.

Calmer conditions in the morning meant the early starters were able to shoot low scores, with Phil Mickelson building on a sublime opening-round 63 to shoot a two-under-par 69, leaving the American one shot clear of Henrik Stenson on 10 under heading into the weekend.

But the forecast wind and rain did arrive and two-time major champion Spieth was in danger of becoming the biggest name to miss the weekend after hovering around the cut line.

However, Spieth - who was four over for the day and is the same score for the tournament - just made it through, as the cut line drifted to five over par.

Masters champion Willett also flirted with missing the cut having been five over through 14, but a birdie at the par-five 16th means the Englishman will stick around for the next two days.

Bubba Watson was another man to earn a reprieve. The two-time Masters champion recorded a birdie three at the 18th to narrowly avoid the cut.

Jim Furyk, Graeme McDowell, Brandt Snedeker and Colin Montgomerie - playing what is likely his last Open - all sit on four over par and will remain for the weekend.

There were plenty of star names to fall foul of the difficult conditions, though, including 2010 champion Louis Oosthuizen, who signed for a nightmare 12-over-par 83.

Ernie Els, Matt Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry - who led last month's U.S. Open heading into the final round - and Hideki Matsuyama are also going home.