McIlroy in tie for second at Irish Open, Lowry in the hunt

The home crowd favourite sits a shot off the early clubhouse lead of five under par held by Laurie Canter at Royal County Down.

ON THE MOVE: Rory McIlroy makes his way from the FIFth tee box at the Royal County Down Golf Club in Newcastle. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Rory McIlroy carried his first-day momentum into the second round of the Amgen Irish Open as he climbed the leaderboard at Royal County Down on Friday.

The world number three, who won his national open in 2016 at The K Club, had finished his opening round with a hat-trick of consecutive birdies on Thursday afternoon for a three-under-par 68 and followed that with a one-under-par 70 the following morning to sit a shot off the early clubhouse lead of five under par held by England’s Laurie Canter.