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India\u2019s Shubhankar Sharma and England\u2019s Jordan Smith share the halfway lead in the Horizon Irish Open as home favourites Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy experienced contrasting finishes at The K Club.<\/p>\n
Sharma raced to the turn in just 28 shots on his way to a second round of 66, setting what looked an imposing target of 13 under par in sweltering conditions.<\/p>\n
Smith responded with seven birdies in the first 11 holes and took the outright lead with another on the 15th, but ran up a double bogey on the 17th before completing a 65 with a birdie on the last.<\/p>\n
Lowry birdied the 17th and 18th to complete a second successive 68 and lie five shots off the pace, while McIlroy holed out from 116 yards for an eagle on the 16th but immediately gave both shots back with a double bogey on 17.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m trying to think of the last time I made a double bogey, it\u2019s been a few months and I\u2019ve prided myself on really limiting my mistakes,\u201d McIlroy said after a 70 left him eight shots off the lead.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThat was one that obviously got away from me and I need a good one tomorrow to get myself back into it. There\u2019s low scores to be had on this golf course especially with how the conditions are.\u201d<\/p>\n
A birdie at the 16th sparked McIlroy\u2019s victory surge the last time the Irish Open was staged at The K Club in 2016 and he added: \u201cThere\u2019s something about that hole that brings out the best in me.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a lovely pin for a wedge shot with that back stop and using the slope to bring the ball back. It\u2019s always a bonus and a bit of luck when they go in the hole but it was a lovely shot.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lowry, who won the 2009 Irish Open when he was still an amateur, said: \u201cI\u2019ve a huge weekend ahead of me.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI\u2019ve obviously been very fortunate to win this tournament before but I\u2019d love nothing more than the opportunity to do that again this weekend.<\/p>\n
\u201cExpectations are a tough thing in sport and we\u2019re going to see that over the next two months with the rugby team (at World Cup), but I think you just have to get out of your own way and let yourself do what you do best.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve done that very well over the last two days and I just need to do that again over the weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n
The start of play had been delayed by 30 minutes due to fog, but Sharma quickly made up for lost time as he birdied seven of the first nine holes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had nine single putts which was amazing, I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve done that before,\u201d he said. \u201cEverything was just flowing nicely, I was hitting it in the right spots and was really good inside 10 feet so it all came together.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 27-year-old won his first DP World Tour title in December 2017 and his second just two months later, but has not tasted victory since and has recorded only two top-10 finishes this season, although the most recent was in the Open Championship at Royal Liverpool.<\/p>\n
\u201cI took a four-week break after the Open and was sick last week so spent most of the weekend sleeping on my couch, but I still have good memories from the Open so I am just trying to continue that form,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m obviously very keen on getting back into the winner\u2019s circle but it\u2019ll happen when it happens.<\/p>\n
\u201cI can only control the controllables, have a good positive mindset on the weekend and I\u2019m sure it will happen soon rather than later.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Sharma and Smith ended the day with a one-shot lead over England\u2019s Ross Fisher, who carded a second consecutive 66, with Germany\u2019s Hurly Long on 11 under and Scotland\u2019s Calum Hill another stroke back after a remarkable 65.<\/p>\n
Hill carded three eagles in the space of seven holes, holing from nine feet on the fourth, from 124 yards on the ninth and 35 feet on the 10th.<\/p>\n