‘Everyone is against us’: Talor Gooch speaks up as LIV players surge at Open

• Gooch says criticism has banded together' breakaway golfers
• Dustin Johnson among LIV players climbing Open leaderboard

There may have been plenty of chatter on the eve of the Open from the R&A and Tiger Woods about LIV golfers being driven by money and turning their back on the sport, but it does not seem to have distracted any converts to the Saudi-run tour at St Andrews.

One LIV defector, Abraham Ancer, insisted there was a really cool camaraderie between us" after finishing day two on five under, while Talor Gooch, tucked neatly behind the leaders on seven under par, went even further: Everybody, it feels like, is against us, and that's OK. It's kind of banded us together, I think."