Friday rundown: Takeaways from Round 2 at St. Andrews

The Open has returned for the 150th playing of the historic event, seven long years since St. Andrews last saw major championship golf.

Here are our takeaways from second-round action Friday as the final major of the year continues.

Tiger's moment for the ages

Tiger Woods is the only man in golf today who can be 18 shots off the lead and still receive this ovation on St. Andrews' famous final hole:

A second-round 75 ensured Woods won't be around for the weekend, but that didn't matter to the adoring faithful in Scotland on Friday. The two-time winner at the Old Course, who readily calls it his favorite in the world, teared up as he took that iconic stroll.

With The Open not scheduled to return to St. Andrews for at least five years, Woods admitted afterward that this might have been his final competitive round at the Home of Golf. Despite that possibility, he didn't stop on the Swilcan Bridge for a final goodbye - something all the greats have done on their last trip to the Old Course.

Given his physical state, it's impossible to project whether Woods will make it back for the next Open Championship at St. Andrews. Regardless, he provided yet another moment the golfing world won't soon forget.

Camerons overrun leaderboard

The Cameron surname has Scottish origins, so perhaps it's fitting that the two guys atop the leaderboard share that name. Cameron Young and Cameron Smith now have the two lowest rounds of the tournament, with 8-under 64s coming on Thursday and Friday, respectively.

Smith, who won the Players Championship in March, flirted with a 63 on Friday, pulling away from the pack to take the 36-hole lead at 13-under. That number in relation to par is the lowest ever for an Open Championship at St. Andrews.

While the Australian showed his all-around game throughout the day, it was his putting that shone brightest. Smith has gained 10 shots on the field with his putting, a whopping 3.4 more than the closest competitor, according to Data Golf.

Young followed up his opening-round 64 with a rock-solid 69 in Round 2 to see himself in contention for the second time in the last three majors.

Rory's Tiger-like birdie binge

In a perfectly timed moment Friday, Rory McIlroy headed down the first fairway as Woods made his emotional walk up the adjacent 18th hole. Arguably the greatest player of all time strode past arguably the best player in golf right now. McIlroy tipped his hat to his good friend and golfing idol before going about his business in Tiger-like fashion.

The 33-year-old picked apart the historic layout with pinpoint accuracy, taking advantage of accessible pins and avoiding issues on the tricky ones en route to a 4-under 68. That score came on the heels of his opening-round 66, which places him just two strokes behind Smith in a tie for second.

If the crowds are largest and loudest for Woods, McIlroy's following is a close second, with the roar following a birdie on the famous 17th shaking the town of St. Andrews. The four-time major winner has made a whopping 13 birdies on different holes through two rounds.

That type of performance across the course should make McIlroy feel very good about his chances to end his eight-year major drought and deliver an incredibly popular win across the golfing world.

DJ in position for redemption

Dustin Johnson has once again put himself in a brilliant position at St. Andrews to add the Open Championship in his quest for the career Grand Slam.

It was seven years ago that Johnson held the 36-hole lead at the Old Course following two rounds in the 60s. Unfortunately for the now 38-year-old, his play collapsed on the weekend and dropped him way back outside the top 40.

Johnson has largely flown under the radar since his move to LIV Golf but did post a top-25 showing at the U.S. Open last month. His opening two rounds at St. Andrews have been a vintage performance for the veteran, with strong ball-striking and timely putting leading him to rounds of 68 and 67.

With favorable conditions expected, it would be a shock to see Johnson catch another case of the weekend 75s and fall from contention.

Hovland's magic shot

Viktor Hovland heads to the weekend at the Open Championship in the best position of his career buoyed by a brilliant moment on the difficult 15th hole.

Faced with a tricky approach from the rough to a very difficult pin placement, Hovland flew a wedge into the front bank of the green and watched it roll into the hole for an incredible eagle from 139 yards.

That brought the Norwegian to 9-under and into the top five on the leaderboard. A birdie on the closing hole moved him into a tie for third with McIlroy and set up a blockbuster pairing with his Ryder Cup teammate on Saturday.

It's the first time Hovland has been inside the top 15 through 36 holes at a major, according to Justin Ray of Twenty First Group.

Adam Scott flips the script

He's six shots off the pace, but Adam Scott's opening 36 holes demand some attention as an example of great resilience.

The Australian star got off to a horrible start Thursday with two bogeys and a double in his opening eight holes, which put him at 4-over. Whatever pep talk he gave himself on the ninth tee clearly worked, as Scott has been on a tear ever since.

The 2014 Masters champion has gone 11-under on his last 28 holes to vault him into the top 10.

Scott will need to continue that torrid pace to have a shot at an elusive Open Championship, but there's nobody hotter on the leaderboard heading to Saturday.