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 at the halfway point of the Irish Open at the K Club.

Chasing his first win since completing the career Grand Slam at the Masters in April, the world number two finished with four birdies in his last six holes to sit five behind Sweden's Joakim Lagergren in a tie for third.

Lagergren carded nine birdies, an eagle and a bogey in a superb 62 to lead France's Adrien Saddier by one shot.

"I'm really pleased with the day's work, and it keeps me within touching distance going into the weekend," said McIlroy, who won his sole Irish Open title at the County Kildare venue in 2016.

"Obviously the two boys are a little bit ahead of the rest of the pack, but I feel like I'm close enough, if I do have a good weekend, to chase them down."

Having been irked by a slow play warning during an up-and-down 71 on Thursday, McIlroy started well on Friday as he picked up two shots in his first four holes.

His patience was then tested, however, as he let birdie chances slip through his grasp during a run of eight successive pars.

However, the Northern Irishman birdied 13, 14, 17 and 18 to join Thorbjorn Olesen, Alfredo Garcia-Heredia and Daniel Hillier on seven under, with England's Tyrrell Hatton a shot behind.

The 36-year-old could have moved closer to the lead had he converted a 10-foot eagle putt on the par-five 18th after a stunning approach.

"I got it going, and I hit some good shots coming in," added McIlroy, who will play in next week's BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth before the Ryder Cup in New York at the end of the month.

"I guess in the middle of the back nine, I felt like I should be a few shots better than I was and just sort of stayed patient, knuckled down, hit some good shots, and took advantage of it."

While McIlroy thrilled the huge crowds following him, the day belonged to Lagergren.

The 33-year-old, who won his sole DP World Tour title in 2018, began his round with a hat-trick of birdies after starting on the 10th.

Lagergren picked up three more shots on the par-fives 16th and 18th and reeled off four more birdies in the space of six holes on his back nine.

While his card was blemished with a bogey at the par-three eighth, he closed out his round with another birdie to claim the 36-hole lead.

"I just played really well out there," said the world number 194.

"My putter was obviously really hot, I holed a lot of putts today. I did yesterday as well, but didn't really have my A-game yesterday.

"[I was] working with my coach yesterday afternoon and obviously found something."

After a promising three-under 69 on Thursday, Shane Lowry failed to move into contention despite spectacularly holing out for an eagle two on the 13th.

That was the highlight for the 2019 Open champion, who also carded three birdies and four bogeys to sit eight shots off the lead.

Lowry, who won the Irish Open as an amateur in 2009, is a shot behind Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin, who recorded five birdies and a bogey in a 68 to move inside the top 20.

Five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, playing in the event for the first time, missed the cut after a disastrous round of 80.

Ireland's three-time major champion Padraig Harrington (74) and Europe's Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald (71) also failed to make the weekend.

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