Former Open champion Brian Harman claims the name of the venue may have changed but his game is the same as he seeks to replicate his 2023 Claret Jug victory.

The American left-hander was a six-stroke winner at Hoylake two years ago and he replicated that form at Royal Portrush with a six-under second round of 65.

It earned him a share of the eight-under lead with China’s Haotong Li, who took 32 holes to register his only bogey of the championship, and Sheffield’s Matt Fitzpatrick, through 11, and brought back memories of his performance on the Wirral where he went top of the leaderboard on Friday and never relinquished his grip.

Back then he established a five-shot cushion after the second day, but there was no such luxury in Northern Ireland as he has Li and the former US Open champion for company, with world number one Scottie Scheffler lurking ominously a shot behind after nine holes of his second round.

Masters champion and world number two Rory Mcllroy is only five behind on a course where he shot 61 as a 16-year-old.

“They’re very different golf courses, but the golf is similar,” said Harman, whose pledge to take a “boring” approach will be familiar with fans who witnessed his performance at Royal Liverpool where his brilliant putting got the job done with very few fireworks elsewhere.

“I’ll approach the weekend the same way. The only thing I’m really worried about is the first tee ball tomorrow and then I’ll try to hit the next one up there close to the flag.

“If not, go to the second hole. It’s a very boring approach that I take.

“I’m not trying to be heroic or do anything crazy. I know that I’ve got the game to do it, and it’s just a matter of executing and staying in my own head.

“I would love to have a similar weekend and just play great the whole way through.”

World number 111 Li finished third in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, comfortably his best performance in 13 previous majors, but he has missed the cut in his last three Open appearances.

He had five birdies in his first 12 holes – narrowly missing an ace at the sixth – to go clear at nine under but after his dropped shot he holed a crucial 22-foot putt for par at the 17th.

McIlroy is targeting a weekend hot streak as he seeks to make up for a missed opportunity in front of a home crowd at Royal Portrush.

Six years ago he failed to make the cut, but this time around a 69 left him three under.

Since 1970, 89 per cent of Open winners have been within four of the lead after 36 holes so McIlroy will have to buck that trend but he is feeling good about his game.

“I maybe could be a couple closer to the lead but overall in a decent position heading into the weekend,” he said.

“I didn’t have this opportunity six years ago, so to play an extra two days in this atmosphere in front of these crowds, I’m very excited for that.”

McIlroy was cheered all the way down the 18th in the heaviest rain of the week, which was a bonus for him but not the afternoon starters like world number one Scottie Scheffler who was just teeing off the first.

But the weather eased up and Scheffler, the US PGA champion, rattled off three successive birdies from the fifth to get to seven under.

Tyrrell Hatton, in the group at five under after a round of 69, said: “I’d like to be in the fairway more this weekend and hitting it a bit closer but we’ll see how we go.”

Ryder Cup team-mate Robert MacIntyre joined him with a 66 after dropping just one shot.