Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry head home challenge as Lucas Herbert leads Irish Open

Former US Open champion Graeme McDowell made the cut on the mark of three under thanks to a 67

Rory McIlroy carded a second round of 67 in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Mount Juliet (Brian Lawless/PA)

Australia’s Lucas Herbert remained the man to catch at the halfway stage of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, where Rory McIlroy was unable to reduce his deficit despite a second round of 67.

Herbert recovered from an early double bogey to also add a 67 to his opening 64 and reach 13 under par, two shots ahead of England’s Andy Sullivan and Scotland’s Grant Forrest.