Mcilroy Surges Into Irish Open Contention With 66

Irish Open second-round leaderboard

-12 J Lagergren (Swe) -11 A Saddier (Fra) -7 R McIlroy (NI), A Garcia-Heredia (Spa), D Hillier (NZ), T Olesen (Den)

Selected others: -6 T Hatton (Eng) -5 R Cabrera-Bello (Spa), T McKibbin (NI); -4 S Lowry (Ire) -2 A Maguire (Ire) E P Reed (US); +2 S Power (Ire) +4 L Donald (Eng); +5 P Harrington (Ire); +7 B Koepka (US)

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Rory McIlroy fired a bogey-free six-under 66 to move into contention astatine nan halfway constituent of nan Irish Open astatine nan K Club.

Chasing his first triumph since completing nan profession Grand Slam astatine nan Masters successful April, nan world number 2 vanished pinch 4 birdies successful his past six holes to beryllium 5 down Sweden's Joakim Lagergren successful a necktie for third.

Lagergren carded 9 birdies, an eagle and a bogey successful a superb 62 to lead France's Adrien Saddier by 1 shot.

"I'm really pleased pinch nan day's work, and it keeps maine wrong rubbing region going into nan weekend," said McIlroy, who won his sole Irish Open title astatine nan County Kildare venue successful 2016.

"Obviously nan 2 boys are a small spot up of nan remainder of nan pack, but I consciousness for illustration I'm adjacent enough, if I do person a bully weekend, to pursuit them down."

Having been irked by a slow play informing during an up-and-down 71 connected Thursday, McIlroy started good connected Friday arsenic he picked up 2 shots successful his first 4 holes.

His patience was past tested, however, arsenic he fto birdie chances gaffe done his grasp during a tally of 8 successive pars.

However, nan Northern Irishman birdied 13, 14, 17 and 18 to subordinate Thorbjorn Olesen, Alfredo Garcia-Heredia and Daniel Hillier connected 7 under, pinch England's Tyrrell Hatton a changeable behind.

The 36-year-old could person moved person to nan lead had he converted a 10-foot eagle putt connected nan par-five 18th aft a stunning approach.

"I sewage it going, and I deed immoderate bully shots coming in," added McIlroy, who will play successful adjacent week's BMW PGA Championship astatine Wentworth earlier nan Ryder Cup successful New York astatine nan extremity of nan month.

"I conjecture successful nan mediate of nan backmost nine, I felt for illustration I should beryllium a fewer shots amended than I was and conscionable benignant of stayed patient, knuckled down, deed immoderate bully shots, and took advantage of it."

While McIlroy thrilled nan immense crowds pursuing him, nan time belonged to Lagergren.

The 33-year-old, who won his sole DP World Tour title successful 2018, began his information pinch a hat-trick of birdies aft starting connected nan 10th.

Lagergren picked up 3 much shots connected nan par-fives 16th and 18th and reeled disconnected 4 much birdies successful nan abstraction of six holes connected his backmost nine.

While his paper was blemished pinch a bogey astatine nan par-three eighth, he closed retired his information pinch different birdie to declare nan 36-hole lead.

"I conscionable played really good retired there," said nan world number 194.

"My putter was evidently really hot, I holed a batch of putts today. I did yesterday arsenic well, but didn't really person my A-game yesterday.

"[I was] moving pinch my coach yesterday day and evidently recovered something."

After a promising three-under 69 connected Thursday, Shane Lowry grounded to move into contention contempt spectacularly holing retired for an eagle 2 connected nan 13th.

That was nan item for nan 2019 Open champion, who besides carded 3 birdies and 4 bogeys to beryllium 8 shots disconnected nan lead.

Lowry, who won nan Irish Open arsenic an amateur successful 2009, is simply a changeable down Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin, who recorded 5 birdies and a bogey successful a 68 to move wrong nan apical 20.

Five-time awesome victor Brooks Koepka, playing successful nan arena for nan first time, missed nan trim aft a disastrous information of 80.

Ireland's three-time awesome champion Padraig Harrington (74) and Europe's Ryder Cup skipper Luke Donald (71) besides grounded to make nan weekend.

Follow unrecorded matter updates from nan last 2 rounds of nan Irish Open connected nan BBC Sport website and app