British Open carnage continues as several notable golfers miss Round 2 cut

The conditions at Royal Troon Golf Club proved too challenging for some of golf's biggest stars, with several missing the cut following Round 2 of the British Open.

Among those packing their bags were U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau (+9) and runner-up Rory McIlroy (+11). After competing in a thrilling battle in June, the pair struggled over the last two days.

DeChambeau shot a dreadful 76 in Round 1 and crumbled down the stretch on Friday. Bogeying back-to-back holes early, he responded with a miraculous chip-in for birdie to close out the front nine, but three bogeys later, he fell out of contention.

McIlroy, on the other hand, finished strong, posting birdies on two of the final five holes. However, after entering the day seven over par, he couldn't overcome a brutal start to Round 2, which included three bogeys and a triple-bogey.

Though, DeChambeau and McIlroy won't be lonely. Amid the rain and gusty winds, Royal Troon claimed a long list of notable names.

Those who failed to make the cut included Wyndham Clark (+16), Tiger Woods (+14), Viktor Hovland (+10), Tony Finau (+10), Ludvig Aberg (+9), Tommy Fleetwood (+9), Tyrrell Hatton (+8) and Keegan Bradley (+7).

While some of golf's best floundered, the top of the field stayed relatively unchanged following Day 2. However, things did change significantly for Shane Lowry, who took the solo lead after being tied for first through the opening round.

Lowry entered the clubhouse with the top spot (-7) thanks to a solid, yet up-and-down outing. He posted a bogey and a double-bogey on the front and back nine, but earned a two-shot advantage powered by five birdies.

Equal with Lowry at the start of Round 2, Daniel Brown dropped a spot, shooting a 72 on Friday to finish -5. He's tied for second with Justin Rose, who was one of six golfers to shoot a 68, the day's best score.

Meanwhile, after strong performances, Billy Horschel (-2), Dean Burmester (-2), Jason Day (-1), Patrick Cantlay (-1) and Scottie Scheffler (-1) are still in the conversation.

No one is running away with things heading into Saturday. That should lead to more excitement and unpredictability for Round 3.