2021 British Open leaderboard breakdown: Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa pushing Louis Oosthuizen after Round 2

Oosty leads the 149th Open Championship with a record-low score through 36 holes

The top of the leaderboard through 36 holes at the 149th Open Championship features plenty of star power as a pair of past champions pushed themselves into contention Friday and some of the sport's best talents are in the hunt entering the weekend at Royal St. George's. Louis Oosthuizen is the solo leader atop the field at 11 under after he played nearly another bogey-free round for a second consecutive day, turning in a 65 that fell one stroke shy of the low round of the week after his 64 on Thursday.

The 2010 Open Championship winner's combined 129 strokes through 36 holes set a new Open Championship record, falling one shot lower than the prior record mark of 130 previously held by Brandt Snedeker (2012) and Nick Faldo (1992).

Jordan Spieth, the 2017 Open Championship winner, is hot on Oosthuizen's heels after a second-round 3-under 67 that moved him to 8 under for the championship. Collin Morikawa is sandwiched between the two and second on the leaderboard at 9 under after he posted the low round of the early wave Friday with a 6-under 64. 

That's just a sampling of some of the stars who will carry contention hopes to Round 3 Saturday as Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm all had big days moving up the leaderboard. Check out a breakdown of the action below and catch up on highlights from the first round in the updates section.

1. Louis Oosthuizen (-11): It was nearly a perfect round for Oosthuizen on Friday as he came within a stroke of tying his own low round of the week. Oosthuizen did not have a bogey at Royal St. George's until No. 16 in Round 2, yet he still came in with a 3-under 32 on the back after playing holes 12-14 at 4 under. 

2. Collin Morikawa (-9): No player in men's golf history has won in his debut in two separate major championships, but Morikawa is potentially on the cusp of doing exactly that after a strong showing Friday. He came one stroke short of tying the course record at Royal St. George's with his second-round 64, becoming just the sixth golfer at the venue to post a 64 or lower in an Open Championship. 

3. Jordan Spieth (-8): A 3-under 67 round for Spieth on Friday gives him his second-best 36-hole start at a major championship in his young career. The previous best and third-best starts for him -- the 2015 Masters and 2017 Open Championship -- account for two of his three major championships. 

T4. Dustin Johnson, Dylan Frittelli, Scottie Scheffler (-6): After a slow start to Round 1 on Thursday, D.J. closed with a flourish on the back and carried that momentum into Round 2 with a front nine 33. He came home in 32 and played the last seven at 3 under. It's his ninth career round of 65 or better in a major championship, the most among all golfers, according to Justin Ray. This is the debut Open Championship showing for Scheffler, 25, and the second time Frittelli has made the cut at The Open in four tries. Both are seeking their first career win at a major after career-best finishes at the U.S. Open last month.

T12. Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and two others (-5): Koepka after his second-round 66 had a little extra pep in his step when he took a a subtle shot at Bryson DeChambeau, declaring, "I love my driver." He closed his round with four birdies over his final five holes. Rahm's 64 tied for low-round of the week and he enters Saturday having completed his last 27 holes without a score over par.

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July 16, 2021, 7:42 PM
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Dustin Johnson with a major showing in Round 2 as he cards a 65 to move to 7 under for the championship. World No. 1 in the mix entering the weekend.

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Kyle Boone
July 16, 2021, 6:58 PM
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July 16, 2021, 6:53 PM
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July 16, 2021, 6:41 PM
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Second-round 65 for Louis Oosthuizen as he holds a two-stroke lead entering the weekend. His score of 129 through 36 holes sets an Open Championship record previously held by Nick Faldo and Brandt Snedeker at 130.

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Kyle Boone
July 16, 2021, 6:34 PM
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July 16, 2021, 6:34 PM
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July 16, 2021, 6:34 PM
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July 16, 2021, 6:33 PM
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World No. 2 Jon Rahm leaves a birdie putt on No. 18 that would've given him a 63 (!!) just short. He's in at 64, however, tying the low round of the week. 5 under through 36 holes.

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Kyle Boone
July 16, 2021, 6:33 PM
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This is wild!

Kyle Porter
July 16, 2021, 6:30 PM
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@JustinRayGolf via Twitter
July 16, 2021, 6:25 PM
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65-67 for Spieth, and he's -8 going to the weekend. He probably won't want such a shootout, but he can win them any way you want. He took the Masters at -18, the U.S. Open at -5 and his Open Championship at -12. Nothing about his first two days has dissuaded me from thinking major No. 4 is coming.

Kyle Porter
July 16, 2021, 6:09 PM
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Jordan Spieth is in through 36 after a 3-under 67 today. Could've closed better but only one bogey on the back and he's just a few strokes off the lead entering Saturday.

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Kyle Boone
July 16, 2021, 6:09 PM
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Bryson DeChambeau with a two-putt par to narrowly make the weekend cut. Even-par round for him today.

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Kyle Boone
July 16, 2021, 6:07 PM
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@JustinRayGolf via Twitter
July 16, 2021, 6:06 PM
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Wait, D.J. is -7?! He makes three birdies in a row to get within two of second place and within four of the lead. He's had a terrible major championship season, but a win here would get him three legs of the grand slam. His best-ever finish at an Open came in 2011 at Royal St. George's when he finished T2 behind Darren Clarke.

Kyle Porter
July 16, 2021, 6:04 PM
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