HOYLAKE, England — The quirks and bad bounces of links golf and pressure are a lethal combination.

Irishman Shane Lowry showed during the second round of the British Open on Friday at Royal Liverpool what can happen when frustration sets in.

After he hit a poor approach shot on the 16th hole, Lowry wrapped the iron around the back of his neck in anger and snapped it in half.

The 2019 British Open champion was already en route to missing the cut, which was 3-over, having taken a double bogey on the par-4 14th hole and failing to birdie 15.

He shot 77 on Friday missed the cut by four shots at 7-over for the week.

For those who would rather not see Brian Harman win the British Open, the best hope at this point is Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, who stayed within striking distance of the lead on Friday.

Harman shot 65 and took a five-shot lead on Fleetwood, the 18-hole co-leader.

Fleetwood wasn’t able to bite into the lead, but he managed not to lose any more ground, either, shooting an even-par 71 to stand at 5-under to Harman’s 10-under.

“Brian had two amazing days,’’ Fleetwood said. “I was watching his round this morning and he was playing great. He’s a long way in front. Of course, there’s a long way to go. We don’t know what the conditions are going to bring, and you just have to keep playing until it’s over and see where you finish.

“I’ve put in chases before in the past, and look, at the end of the day if somebody said you’re going out in the last group on Saturday, I don’t care what the situation was or what anybody had shot, I’d have probably taken it.’’

Rory McIlroy, who came in as the tournament favorite, but is 1-under par and nine shots off the lead, said he was “actually pretty happy with my two days’ work.’’

“I don’t think I have to do anything differently,’’ McIlroy said of the weekend. “I’m hitting the ball well from tee to green. I’ve missed a couple of chances on the greens. I might be nine back, but I don’t think there’s going to be a ton of players between me and the lead going into the weekend. Depends what the conditions are tomorrow. Obviously depends what Brian does, as well.

“Right now it’s not quite out of my hands, but at the same time, I think if I can get to 3-, 4-, 5-under par tomorrow going into Sunday, I’ll have a really good chance.”

There was a mad scramble by some of the world’s best players late in the second round to make the cut.

With the cutline at 3-over, defending champion Cam Smith, at 4-over, stuffed his third shot on the par-5 18th hole to within two feet and made eagle to get to 2-under and survive to the weekend.

Scottie Scheffler, the No. 1 ranked player in the world, also came to the 18th hole at 4-over and needing birdie to make the cut.

He clipped a bunker lip with a sand shot and his third shot trickled to three feet of the hole, from where he made his birdie.

Scheffler, after his lucky break out of the bunker, raised his arms to the sky with a look of relief on his face.

A short time later, Rickie Fowler came to 18 at 3-over and needing a par to play the weekend.

He saved par out of a greenside pot bunker to make the cut.

Aussie Travis Smythfinished 8-over and missed the cut, but he left with a memory of a lifetime: a hole-in-one on the difficult par-3 17th hole.

One day after taking a double-bogey 5 on the hole, he made the first-ever ace on the new hole.

“It was amazing,’’ Smyth said. “A little bittersweet actually. I had a shocker the day before, made double bogey, and I was just really happy I hit a good shot because I was just so disappointed from the day before. It was a huge surprise that it went in the hole. It was just the perfect distance, perfect wind and the club. Everything just kind of came together, and it was a moment I’ll never forget. I kept the ball. A few kids asked for it, but I felt bad I needed to keep that one.”

Westchester County native Cameron Young, the pride of Sleepy Hollow Country Club who finished runner-up in the 2022 British Open, was climbing the leaderboard Friday, getting to 3-under, before bogeys on Nos. 14 and 15 slowed his roll.

He finished 2-under after a birdie on 18 and is eight shots off the lead.

Among the notable players who missed the cut were Dustin Johnson, who shot 81 Friday and finished 13-over.

Phil Mickelson, whose 5-over finish on the final two holes Thursday doomed him, finished 9-over.

Collin Morikawa, the 2021 Open winner, finished 4-over and missed by one shot.

Justin Roseshot 6-over.

Tom Kimshot a 3-under 68 in the second round Friday after nearly having to withdraw from the tournament when he severely sprained his right ankle in a freak accident at his rental home on Thursday night.

The South Korean said he was stepping off the patio and slipped on a wet patch of grass.

“It’s a very unfortunate thing,” Kim said. “It’s pretty bruised. I can’t take off my shoe really. I don’t know how I really walked. But once the adrenaline popped in, I got away with it. Now, I’m surviving.”

Kim is even par after 36 holes, 10 shots off the lead.

Both Fitzpatrick brothers made the cut on the game number, 2-over.

Matt Fitzpatrick, the older brother and the 2022 U.S. Open winner, shot 1-over on Friday to get there.

Alex Fitzpatrick, the younger brother by four years and playing in his first major championship, shot 1-under Friday.