McDowell storms into Irish Open contention with McIlroy missing the cut

Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy carded contrasting days at day two of the Irish Open in Fota Island.

Graeme McDowell moved into contention for the tournament with a sizzling round of 66 to bring him to eight-under-par for the day.

Overnight leader Miko Ilonen opened with a birdie and didn’t drop a shot until the back nine. Four birdies and two bogeys see him leading at ten under.

G MAC hit six birdies for the round, picking up a bogey at 14, the only blotch on his card for the second round leaves McDowell just two shots off Ilonen.

McDowell, who has never landed a top 10 finish at the Irish Open, finished the daytwo off the lead and told RTE: “Well there’s a first time for everything.”

It wasn’t such a good day for Rory McIlroy finishing two under-par for the day and just one shot off the cut at one-over-par.

McIlroy, at three-over-par from Thursday needed to make up four shots to make today’s cut, hit a double-bogey seven at four.

Sitting at two-over with three to play, McIlroy then went over the green and into the crowd at 16 to bogey and move to three-over.

McIlroy, having declared for the Irish Olympic team on Wednesday and shooting an eight under 63 at the pro-am, now heads home.

“It’s frustrating!” McIlroy told Sky Sports. “I left myself with a lot of work today after yesterday and today making five birdies and an eagle, there’s a lot of mistakes in there.”

Padraig Harrington showed form of old, carding 67 to see him just four shots off the lead with a score of six under-par for the tournament.

“You need to finish off tournaments, I badly need a win and if I have a good weekend then that will build momentum,” Harrington said.

Harrington birdied at 3, 4, 6, 10 and 17 but bogeying the 12th. Harrington lined up for a par at 14, though claimed to have accidently touch the ball.

English man Robert Rock joins McDowell at the towards the head of the leaderboard. Rock also shooting a 66, five under-par for the second round.

Rock picked up seven birdies, though two bogeys at 7 and 12, saw the 37-year-old English man in joint third position with Graeme McDowell.

Of the other Irish Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley carded a two-over 73, leaving him four-over-par.

Peter Lawrie, Darren Clarke, Michael Hoey have all made the cut and will look forward to another two days in Cork.

2011 British Open champion Darren Clarke lit up the Cork venue with a three under-par 68. Clarke sits at two-under heading into the weekend.

Michael Hoey shot a level-par 71, with birdies at 4, 5, 10 and 11 followed by consecutive bogeys at 13, 14, 15.

Shane Lowry’s bogey at 18, sees him miss the cut, posting one-over for the round. Lowry posted birdies at 2 and 4, before bogeys at 8, 13 and 18.