The second round of the Open Championship begins on Friday in Scotland, as Scottie Scheffler sits one shot off the lead after one day of play.

While Xander Schauffele enters as the reigning Champion Golfer of the Year, all eyes will be focused on hometown favorite Rory McIlroy, the No. 2 golfer in the world.

All that has rendered distance secondary in The Open Championship test, a component of the puzzle but far from the overwhelming priority that it often becomes at the other three major championships a...