Rory red hot in Memphis

Rory McIlroy finished with three birdies in his last four holes and held a one-shot lead as the second round of the FedEx St Jude Classic drew to a close last night.

With his US Open title defence due to get under way in six days, McIlroy’s decision to search for form under tournament conditions here this week following three straight missed cuts was vindicated as he reached seven under par at TPC Southwind.

Having begun the day two off the four-under-par first-round lead of Jeff Maggert around the par-70, 7,244-yard Tennessee layout, the 23-year-old world number two was in red-hot form as he birdied the par-four second hole and then eagled the par-five third, following up with a birdie two at the 11th.

Dropped shots at 12 and 13 halted McIlroy’s momentum but the Holywood star regained his touch with a birdie at the par-four 15th and a powerful drive and superb approach shot set up an eagle opportunity from inside four feet at the par-five 16th.

Alas, McIlroy kept up his statistic of never having two eagles in the same round as the short putt went begging but the par putt put him in a share of the lead at six under par with JB Holmes, in the clubhouse with a 64, Maggert, who carded a 68 and Kevin Stadler (65), the Northern Ireland star having two holes left to play.

Playing partner Pádraig Harrington had matched McIlroy’s 68 on the opening day but although he was under par again yesterday he could not keep pace.

Harrington had carded just one bogey in his first round but his second was more eventful, with a bogey at the first and ninth either side of three birdies. Like McIlroy, the three-time major winner birdied the 11th but cancelled it out with a bogey at the 14th after his short par putt lipped out.

Harrington made amends with a birdie at 16 and with two to play was four under for the tournament, two off the lead.

McDowell, the third Irishman in the group, was heading for his second missed cut in a row following an early exit at Wentworth a fortnight ago.

Following an opening 75, the 2010 US Open champion bogeyed the first and after getting back to level for the day, back-to-back bogeys on 14 and 15 scotched any hopes of making the weekend at seven over.

lIt was a bizarre opening day of the Curtis Cup with the USA captain and her husband hospitalised while Leona Maguire’s poor record in the competition continued in Nairn.

USA team leader, Pat Cornett was rushed to a nearby Inverness hospital with a broken right ankle after her motorised buggy crashed into the side of a grandstand close to the first tee.

Her husband, Mike had been taken to another Inverness hospital a day earlier and was still in hospital on a drip suffering a serious skin infection.

Maguire and Portrush teammate, Stephanie Meadow were handed a 5/4 Foursome’s drubbing, as Great Britain & Ireland lost all three opening round matches before an afternoon fourball fightback to trail 2/4. The Irish pair was never in their match against the USA duo of Lisa Duncan and Lisa McCloskey who were 3 up after five and 6 up through nine holes. Maguire and Meadow won their only holes with a par at 11th while the 12th was conceded in their favour. However the match was all over when the Irish pair bogeyed the 14th. GB & I team captain, Tegwen Matthews rested the pair for afternoon fourballs.

Maguire and Meadow have been recalled for this morning’s foursomes and will again play together against the Americans who beat them 5 and 4 yesterday.