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Golf-Tricky Troon too testing for 'Big Four'

By Tony Jimenez TROON, Scotland, July 15 (Reuters) - The so-called 'Big Four' of world golf were left trailing in the wake of the leaders for the second day running at the British Open on Friday. World number two Dustin Johnson (69) and fourth-ranked Rory McIlroy (71) were the best-placed of the quartet on two-under-par, eight adrift of championship pacesetter Phil Mickelson. Top-ranked Jason Day (70) was 11 shots behind American Mickelson while number three Jordan Spieth (75) just made the cut on four-over. "I just tried to smile, tried to enjoy the fact that you don't play in this often," American Spieth told reporters of the squally showers and 20mph gusts that made conditions extremely difficult for the players at Royal Troon. "You wish your score didn't matter when you play in this. You wish this was just a round with your buddies where you go into the clubhouse and have one or seven pints afterwards." Spieth and McIlroy teed off in the afternoon, when the weather was at its worst, and suggested they were on the wrong side of the draw. "I feel like I've played very well," said McIlroy. "I kept it together in the conditions. "Anything around even-par this afternoon was a decent score. It's the Open championship, some draws go your way and some draws don't." (Editing by Pritha Sarkar)