Harrington struggles in the rain

Heavy rain made conditions foul for players and spectators alike in The 3 Irish Open at County Louth today – and Padraig Harrington and John Daly were among those to suffer.

Pre-tournament favourite Harrington already had his work cut out to make the halfway cut after an opening 73 – his 10th round in a row without breaking par - and his task became taller when he bogeyed his second hole.

Daly, meanwhile, double-bogeyed the same hole and dropped from four-under to two-under, seven adrift of Italian Francesco Molinari.

There were those who continued to make good headway, however. English pair Robert Dinwiddie and Oliver Wilson both moved to seven-under and and into a share of third place.

Dinwiddie followed an opening bogey with three birdies in a row, while Wilson, doubtful earlier in the week because of neck trouble, had birdies at the 10th and 12th and would have been only a stroke behind Molinari but for a bogey in between.

Many of the fans, meanwhile, were having to cope with long queues into car parks and mud galore when they got there.