The Latest: Glasgow (Kentucky) native Bulle having a ball
By Associated Press
Jul 21, 2017 5:36 AM CDT
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy acknowledges the crowd after his birdie on the 18th hole on the first day of the British Open Golf Championship, at Royal Birkdale, Southport, England Thursday, July 20, 2017. (AP Photo/Peter Morrison)   (Associated Press)

SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — The Latest on the British Open (all times local):

11:20 a.m.

Kent Bulle might be Glasgow's best hope in this British Open.

Trouble is, he's from Glasgow, Kentucky.

Of the 52 Americans in the field at Royal Birkdale, Bulle is the least known. The 28-year-old who went to Middle Tennessee State spends most of his time between the PGA Tour Latinoamerica and the Web.com Tour. He had played in only one PGA Tour event — the U.S. Open last summer at Oakmont — when he was medalist at one of the smaller sectional qualifiers. He missed the cut.

The R&A, trying to expand its reach, this year offered an exemption to the winner of the Argentina Open. Bulle won it for the second straight year.

He's having a ball at Birkdale. Bulle opened with a 68, and then started his second round with a birdie. He was tied for fourth in the early stages Friday, and that's no bull.

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10:30 a.m.

Sergio Garcia appears to have a problem with his right shoulder after angrily swinging his club into shrubs on the fourth hole at the British Open.

The Masters champion sent his tee shot to the back left of the green near some bushes at Royal Birkdale. He didn't have a full back swing and his second shot came up short.

After taking his shot, Garcia looked behind him and swung his club into the shrubs. He clutched his shoulder immediately. He wound up with a bogey.

It certainly didn't affect his power. Garcia drove the green on the 346-yard fifth hole and made eagle. But as he walked to the green on the par-3 seventh, he was seen chatting with a medical official.

Garcia was 1 under after nine holes and 2-over par for the championship.

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9:50 a.m.

Matt Kuchar is trying to set the target in blustery conditions at the British Open.

Of the three players who shared the lead at Royal Birkdale going into the second round Friday, Kuchar was the only one who played in the morning. The rain has stayed away, though the wind is strong.

Kuchar dropped a shot on his second hole, only to bounce back by chipping in for birdie on No. 3 and adding another birdie on the par-3 fourth to reach 6 under. Depending on how Kuchar fares, he could set a 36-hole score that the second half of the field will try to catch.

The forecast is for worsening conditions in the afternoon.

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7:30 a.m.

Jordan Spieth rated his opening 5-under 65 at the British Open as one of the top five or six rounds he has ever played in a major. Most of that had to do with the shots he hit. And some of it had to do with timing.

The last thing he wanted to do was try to make up ground in bad weather.

The second round began Friday with a gray sky, cool air, ample wind and a gloomy outlook. The forecast was for occasional showers, slightly heavier in the afternoon, and wind, slightly stronger in the afternoon.

Spieth and Brooks Koepka (65) were to play in the afternoon. Sharing the 18-hole lead was Matt Kuchar, who teed off Friday morning at Royal Birkdale.

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