SHANE LOWRY IS FIVE shots off the lead at the Irish Open after Jordan Smith moved to the top of the leaderboard with a brilliant 65, the Englishman joining India’s Shubhankar Sharma on 13-under.
Lowry shot 68 at the K Club for the second day running to remain in contention on eight-under. The Offaly native carded four birdies and one bogey on the front nine before another bogey on the par-four 15th, closing with birdies on the 17th and 18th.
A costly double bogey at the 17th left Rory McIlroy eight shots off the lead, with a stunning eagle on the 16th the highlight of his day as McIlroy holed out from 116 yards.
“I’m trying to think of the last time I made a double bogey, it’s been a few months and I’ve prided myself on really limiting my mistakes,” McIlroy said after a posting a 70.
“That was one that obviously got away from me and I need a good one tomorrow to get myself back into it.”
What a shot!
Cheers from the K Club crowd as Rory McIlroy hits an eagle 🦅
Kilkenny’s Mark Power is also on five-under after a second round 71, while Padraig Harrington climbed to two-under after shooting five birdies and two bogeys to card 69.
Among the other Irish competitors, Tom McKibbin climbed to two-under, Conor Purcell is one-under, John Murphy slipped to six-over, with amateur Alex Maguire five-over and Jonathan Caldwell 11-over.
Smith and Sharma are two shots clear of the chasing pack.
Smith looked well placed to take a solo lead into the weekend but a double-bogey on the 17th proved the only blemish of a superb second round which included nine birdies.
“I’m really, really happy,” said Smith. “Yeah, double (bogey) on 17 but it is what it is and it didn’t really affect me too much. I sort of took my time with the shots and just a little bit unlucky, but it is what it is. It’s part of golf.
“I know I had a good chance and I birdied the last and unfortunately just missed the fairway but had a bit of a dodgy lie and had to lay up and made the most of it.
“The long game has been great the last couple of months, so we were just maintaining that over the last couple of weeks, and yeah, plenty of putts in practice. Didn’t drop last week, hit it great, just didn’t hole those putts. Thankfully I managed to find the bottom of the hole this week.”
Overnight leader Sharma was seven under for his second round through nine holes. But the Indian was one over on the back nine for a 66.
“I had nine single putts which was amazing, I don’t think I’ve done that before,” said Sharma.
“Everything was just flowing nicely, I was hitting it in the right spots and was really good inside 10 feet so it all came together.”
England’s Ross Fisher is one shot off the lead, with Germany’s Hurly Long on 11 under. Scotland’s Callum Hill is at 10 under after a 65 that included three eagles.
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McIlroy rues rare double bogey as Sharma, Smith share Irish Open lead
LAST UPDATE | 8 Sep 2023
SHANE LOWRY IS FIVE shots off the lead at the Irish Open after Jordan Smith moved to the top of the leaderboard with a brilliant 65, the Englishman joining India’s Shubhankar Sharma on 13-under.
Lowry shot 68 at the K Club for the second day running to remain in contention on eight-under. The Offaly native carded four birdies and one bogey on the front nine before another bogey on the par-four 15th, closing with birdies on the 17th and 18th.
A costly double bogey at the 17th left Rory McIlroy eight shots off the lead, with a stunning eagle on the 16th the highlight of his day as McIlroy holed out from 116 yards.
“I’m trying to think of the last time I made a double bogey, it’s been a few months and I’ve prided myself on really limiting my mistakes,” McIlroy said after a posting a 70.
“That was one that obviously got away from me and I need a good one tomorrow to get myself back into it.”
Kilkenny’s Mark Power is also on five-under after a second round 71, while Padraig Harrington climbed to two-under after shooting five birdies and two bogeys to card 69.
Among the other Irish competitors, Tom McKibbin climbed to two-under, Conor Purcell is one-under, John Murphy slipped to six-over, with amateur Alex Maguire five-over and Jonathan Caldwell 11-over.
Smith and Sharma are two shots clear of the chasing pack.
Smith looked well placed to take a solo lead into the weekend but a double-bogey on the 17th proved the only blemish of a superb second round which included nine birdies.
“I’m really, really happy,” said Smith. “Yeah, double (bogey) on 17 but it is what it is and it didn’t really affect me too much. I sort of took my time with the shots and just a little bit unlucky, but it is what it is. It’s part of golf.
“I know I had a good chance and I birdied the last and unfortunately just missed the fairway but had a bit of a dodgy lie and had to lay up and made the most of it.
“The long game has been great the last couple of months, so we were just maintaining that over the last couple of weeks, and yeah, plenty of putts in practice. Didn’t drop last week, hit it great, just didn’t hole those putts. Thankfully I managed to find the bottom of the hole this week.”
Overnight leader Sharma was seven under for his second round through nine holes. But the Indian was one over on the back nine for a 66.
“I had nine single putts which was amazing, I don’t think I’ve done that before,” said Sharma.
“Everything was just flowing nicely, I was hitting it in the right spots and was really good inside 10 feet so it all came together.”
England’s Ross Fisher is one shot off the lead, with Germany’s Hurly Long on 11 under. Scotland’s Callum Hill is at 10 under after a 65 that included three eagles.
With reporting from – © AFP 2023
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Irish Open K Club Shane Lowry