Published on July 20, 2024

As his 11-foot par putt on Royal Troon’s 18th green disappeared below ground, Andy Ogletree’s relief was obvious.

Story by Spencer Robinson, Asian Tour contributor, at Royal Troon.

After winning the Asian Tour Order of Merit in fine style last year, 2024 has proved especially challenging for the American.

Beset by injuries that have affected his form, Ogletree has not been able to build on the successes he achieved around Asia in 2023.

But clutch putts on the final two holes at Royal Troon simultaneously reignited his season and ensured that Ogletree will be vying for glory over the weekend at the 152nd Open Championship.

After signing for a second-round one-over-par 72 for a 36-hole aggregate of 147, Ogletree was more upbeat than he’s been for many months.

“I’ve had a really tough season, to be honest with you. I haven’t played the way that I wanted to and I’ve been banged up with some injuries, wrist and elbow. I’m trying to play through the pain right now,” said Ogletree, who earned his place in the LIV Golf League by virtue of topping the International Series Order of Merit last year.

He added: “Coming into this week, the expectations weren’t that high. But I’ve been working really hard lately, just trying to play better … trying to figure it out.

“It felt great to make that putt on 18. It felt like being rewarded after such a tough year.

“I had to step in there with the wind gusting and the hands shaking. To make that putt I felt like I won the tournament – but I just made the cut! We’re trying to celebrate the little moments and go from there.”

After his 75 on Thursday, Ogletree knew there was little margin for error on day two if he was to qualify for the weekend.

By the time he reached the par-three 17th, the cut-line was being predicted to fall at five-over, the figure at which he was at.

Having overshot the green with his tee shot, he chipped to nine feet. He was fully aware it was a ‘must make’ – and he duly made it.

“There are huge TV screens out there that were saying the cut was going to be five-over. So I stepped in on 17 and made a big putt for par. I then did it on 18. I’ll remember those two putts for a long time,” he said.

Also progressing to the final two rounds are Korean Jeunghun Wang and Chilean Joaquin Niemann.

Wang has been a model of consistency in returning back-to-back 72s.

On day one, he had three birdies against two bogeys and a double-bogey five at the Postage Stamp eighth. On day two there were just two bogeys and a solitary birdie at the par-four 15th.

It’s the first time in seven attempts that Wang has succeeded in making the cut in a Major and a case of third time lucky at The Open have missed out here at Royal Troon in 2016 and Royal Birkdale in 2017.

For Niemann, it was a day of wildly fluctuating fortunes.

His prospects of making the cut appeared doomed after running up a quintuple-bogey eight at the eighth. But he recovered brilliantly, playing the final 10 holes in four-under to sign for a second successive even-par 71.

It was a stunning comeback that will leave Niemann happy to still be in contention, but perhaps a little sad as a Postage Stamp par would have meant he’d be entering the weekend in a share of second place at five-under.

Ends.