Irish hopes get blown off course as trio fail to make cut

There was an Irish weather wipeout at Royal Birkdale last night as Shane Lowry and former Open champions Darren Clarke and Pádraig Harrington all crashed out in the torrential rain.

The Irish trio had all been up against it heading into the second round but though each of them had the pedigree to excel in the poor weather conditions, none could bring their rain games to bear in Southport.

For Harrington, there was particular disappointment given his success at Birkdale nine years ago when he successfully defended the Claret Jug, the first European to do so since James Braid in 1906.