Kinsale golfer John Murphy and Shane Lowry enter top-10 at Dunhill Links Championship

John Murphy. File photo: AP/Brynn Anderson

Kinsale golfer John Murphy has climbed into contention at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, moving alongside Shane Lowry into a tie for seventh at the halfway stage.

Murphy could not have faced a much tougher test as he played the famously difficult Carnoustie on day one and then faced high winds at Kingsbarns on day two.

His three-under 69 at the latter course, ending with two birdies in the final three holes to follow his opening 69 at Carnoustie, moved him onto six under.

Lowry, who arrived in Scotland fresh off the 19-9 hammering at the hands of the United States in the Ryder Cup, shot the low round of the day, his 67 at Kingsbarns featuring an eagle and six birdies to catapult him into the top-10.

Leader Tyrrell Hatton produced a brilliant display of links golf on day two in Scotland to keep himself on track for a third victory in the tournament.

But after posting a sparkling 64 at Carnoustie, he battled his way to a 70 at Kingsbarns to get to 10 under and lead by one heading into a weekend over the Old Course at St Andrews.

Fellow Englishman Daniel Gavins was his nearest challenger, a shot clear of 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett and China’s Li Haotong.

“I’m happy with how I scored,” said Hatton. “It was really tough out there. It was quite easy to make mistakes, very easy to hit bad shots.

“I guess I was fortunate at times where when I did hit a bad shot, I didn’t end up in too much of a dodgy position. I was able to get it on to the green.

“I’m happy with how I fought out there today in tough conditions.”

Starting at the 10th, Hatton turned in level par with three birdies and three bogeys but back-to-back gains on the sixth and seventh took him to the top of the leaderboard.

Gavins carded a 68 at Carnoustie, while Willett signed for a 69 at Kingsbarns and Li recorded a 72 at St Andrews to make his first cut in 14 events in 2021.

Hatton’s Whistling Straits team-mate Tommy Fleetwood sat at seven under alongside Dane Jeff Winther, one shot clear of a group containing Lowry and Murphy, Scot Ewen Ferguson, and England’s Oliver Fisher.