Lowry makes move to set up Bjorn battle
A second-round, two-under-par 70 yesterday, sealed with back-to-back birdies on the closing holes, sent Lowry into a share of the lead in the European Tour’s flagship event with Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn at 10 under par. With a four-shot lead over the rest of the field, the tournament could already have the makings of a shoot-out for the €791,660 winner’s cheque.
The leading pair will tee off this afternoon with Lowry hoping to convert a fifth-place finish in 2011 and a tie for 12th last year into victory over a course that has helped spark his season into life after six missed cuts in his first nine starts of 2014.
So enamoured with the West Course is Lowry that he came into this week with confidence sky high following an encouraging T15 finish last week at the Spanish Open.
“I spoke with my coach [Neil Manchip] on Wednesday and he was asking me how I was feeling and I said to him I was almost feeling too confident,” Lowry said last night. “I was very confident coming in to the week, love the place, I’m playing nicely and I managed to get my putter going last week and I’m really looking forward to the weekend.”
Lowry, whose second and most recent European Tour victory was at the 2012 Portugal Masters, was in such a good mental place he shrugged aside a three-putt double bogey at the par-four ninth to negotiate the back nine in four-under-par 33, finishing with a flourish by holing a 20-foot birdie putt at 18.
“Bad three-putt [on nine] but got on with things. It didn’t seem to faze me and I seemed to do well after that. Especially to roll one in from the distance at the last.
“I’m pleased with the top of the leaderboard, it’s been a while since I’ve been here so I’ll enjoy it while I can.”
Lowry had started the day two shots behind Bjorn, whose opening 10-under-par 62 was a new course record. The Dane began his second round with a bogey at the first and he dropped a further shot at the par-fourth seventh before rallying to a level-par 72.
While the leaders have a healthy cushion over the field neither man will take it for granted with some big names leading the chase. Luke Donald, back-to-back winner here in 2011 and 2012, lies in a tie for third place on six under with Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello after the round of the day, a five-under 67, while a shot further back lies world No 3 Henrik Stenson, Rory McIlroy and Masters runner-up Jonas Blixt.
Of the other Irishmen joining Lowry and McIlroy in the weekend field, Simon Thornton is next best placed after a second-round 68 moved him to two under, while Pádraig Harrington lives to play another two rounds following a four-over 76 that left him at one over.
“I missed a lot of putts, a lot of short putts,” Harrington said. “Certainly four from inside four feet. Six from inside five feet, that’s a lot of putts. And every one of them right to left. I practiced my putting yesterday and there was a particular putt I was hitting right to left and I kept missing it. And all day I was just freaked out. I couldn’t convince myself to hit it. Every one of them I hit weak and missed, except for the first one, I banged it through the break and every other one I missed left. Just a horrible, horrible day on the greens.”
Damien McGrane hit a 71 to reach the weekend just inside the cut line on two over par but Michael Hoey’s 76 sent him packing at three over.
Darren Clarke’s 74 and Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley’s 75 sent the experienced Irish pair to five over, with Peter Lawrie (76) on seven over. Damien Mooney (76) and Gareth Maybin (78) limped out of the tournament on 11 over.
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