Scheffler started the week by revealing his daily wrestle with why he plays the sport but his skill has shone through the largely gloomy conditions he has encountered so far.
An opening 68 left him one off the pace and he maintained his laser-sharp focus on Friday, with a birdie on the first as the rain lashed down.
“We get to the first hole, it’s sunny. Then all of a sudden, you look around and it’s super dark and it starts pouring rain,” he said.
“You’re like, ‘boy, I wonder how long this is going to last’.”
That set the tone for his day and a hat-trick of birdies from the fifth were followed by another on the 10th to reach eight under.
Fitzpatrick, out an hour or so earlier, was scaling even greater heights. The Yorkshireman, who had shared the overnight lead on four under, had four birdies in his opening seven holes.
Four more followed from the 10th as he was the first to reach 10 under. A short missed putt on the 14th cost him a shot and a three-foot birdie attempt on the 17th lipped out as the fine margins went against him.
But huge cheers rang out as he bravely holed a 24-foot par putt on the last to stay at nine under.
“I felt like every facet of my game was on,” said Fitzpatrick.
“I’m giving myself an opportunity to win the golf tournament, but there’s still a long way to go.”
With the afternoon gloom giving way to evening sun, Scheffler took advantage of greens that were softer and more receptive following the rain to convert three more birdie chances, including on the 16th and 17th, and edge clear.
“Fortunately, it didn’t pour the whole time,” he said. “We had four or five holes where it was really coming down, and I was able to take advantage where we had good weather.”
Earlier in the day, Harman resurrected memories of his run to the 2023 Open title at Royal Liverpool with a bogey-free 65.
His charge echoed his performance on the Wirral coast, when he also shot a second-round 65.
Harman was dubbed “the butcher of Hoylake” during his relentless march to the Claret Jug as a result of his propensity to slay and eat big game.
When asked if he was still enjoying hunting, he replied: “Yeah, big hunter, big fisherman.
“I didn’t realise that everyone was so upset about it. It’s a hill I’ll die on. I’ll sleep like a baby at night.”
He dissected one of the world’s toughest courses on Friday, with three birdies in his opening seven holes and three more on the back nine.
Li, who almost quit the sport in 2023 after making two cuts in 20 DP World Tour events, played through the afternoon rain to post a second successive 67.
He finished third on his Open debut in 2017 after a closing round of 63 at Royal Birkdale.
