Has McIlroy lit the fuse on a weekend of fireworks? 

Rory McIlroy during round 2 at the Amgen Irish Open at The K Club. Pic: Tom Maher, Inpho

Even Rory McIlroy is excited by the possibilities his second-round back-nine surge into contention at the Amgen Irish Open has set up for this weekend in front of sell-out crowds at The K Club.

The Masters champion and career grand slam winner will begin his third round on Saturday trailing halfway leader Joakim Lagergren by five strokes thanks to his six-under-par 66 on Friday. And if the support he got around the Palmer North course on a thankfully dry second day of this €5.1 million DP World Tour event is any guide, the Irish superstar is set to ride a wave of emotion on his third and fourth trips around this parkland theatre.

Four birdies over his final six holes catapulted McIlroy onto the first page of the leaderboard to the delight of the huge galleries cheering him on, whetting the appetite for what lies ahead this weekend.

It took an incredible iron approach on the 16th in the fourth round nine years ago to light the fuse the delivered his maiden Irish Open victory here in 2016 and having come up short in his pursuit of a second national title 12 months ago at Royal County Down, the five-time major champion senses another opportunity to add to his trophy haul.

“I'm unbelievably excited for the opportunity,” McIlroy said. “I had a great chance to win last year at RCD - I wasn't quite able to do it. So, if I can put myself in contention again, going into Sunday, and give myself another opportunity to win my national open, that would be amazing.” 

His play on Friday as he built on an opening one-under 71 suggests McIlroy’s game is in fine fettle as he seeks his fourth victory of the year following successes at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Players Championship and the big one at the Masters last April. He very nearly finished with an albatross at the par-five 18th, sticking his approach form the middle of the fairway, 171 yards out, to within inches before the ball span back to eight feet, from where he closed with a birdie to reach seven under par.

“It was probably the best round I've played from a ball-striking perspective and just sort of putting it all together since The Open, probably since the Saturday of The Open, not that I've played that many rounds since then.

"But yeah, I played well today. I struck the ball well, I drove the ball very well and because of that I gave myself a lot of chances. All aspects of the game feel pretty under control. I struggle a little bit coming back to these soft poa greens. They're hard to read, they're very subtle.

"You hit good putts that miss and sometimes you have bad putts that go in. It's just the sort of nature of these sorts of greens, but overall it was a very good day.” 

Sweden’s Lagergren had an even better day on Friday, claiming the 36-hole lead with a 10-under-par 62 that sent him to 12 under for the week, a shot ahead of Adrien Saddier from France with McIlroy part of a four-man group in a tie for third on seven under, also including Daniel Hillier, Thorbjorn Olesen, and Alfredo Garcia-Heredia.

Lagergren has form at The K Club having shot a course-record nine-under 63 on this week’s sister layout, the Palmer South course in the 2024 Irish Challenge 13 months ago and compiled a stellar second round on Palmer North with an eagle, nine birdies and only one dropped shot, at the eighth hole, his 17th.

“I shot the course record on the other course, minus 9, so I thought I did it on this course now. Minus 12 is the course record, way off. But, yeah, Ireland is treating me well,” the Swede said.

McIlroy, meanwhile, will be one of four Irishmen to have made the halfway cut with fellow Holywood player Tom McKibbin having shot a 68 to move to five under, while Shane Lowry was left frustrated by a 71 which leaves him 11 shots off the lead at one under.

Laytown & Bettystown’s Alex Maguire is the other surviving Irishman, at two under following a rollercoaster second-round 72, which he celebrated as if it was a major victory after guaranteeing the biggest prize money of his fledgling professional career.

McIlroy offered his congratulations and encouragement to the 24-year-old and others struggling at the outset of their professional journeys.

“I think the thing that I would tell someone like an Alex who just made the cut is, we were all in a similar position at one stage. And, we've all sort of been through that same journey, especially those formative years of our careers, whether it be Irish panels or playing on Irish teams under Neil Manchip.

“Like, we've all done that. And there's a few of us that have come through that and gone on to very, very big things, whether it be myself or Shane winning the Open and becoming a sort of bona fide top 10, top 20 player in the world.

“So the opportunities are there and it's just a matter of going out and grabbing it and playing well at the right time. But I would just tell those guys to look at Shane, to look at me and realise that you are able to do it. You know, it is achievable.”