A 65 for Shane Lowry and a 66 for Rory McIlory in their second rounds in Tokyo have shot the Irishmen up the leaderboard and into medal contention.
They both sit on -7, four behind the leader Xander Schauffele and only one shot off the tie for third place. If golfers are tied for third after the final round, a play off will ensue to decide who wins the only bronze medal available.
McIlroy started the brighter and went birdie, birdie, eagle on the sixth, seventh and eighth. His back nine was slightly up and down and he would have been in a tie for third if not for a bogey on the 18th.
A super round of 66 has @McIlroyRory well in contention for a medal at halfway point of #golf competition#olympics #tokyo2020 #RTESport
📺 Watch live - https://t.co/lLKXNhKPkF
📱 Updates - https://t.co/aoglAxa7GK https://t.co/YQNTzKCJZz— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 30, 2021
Lowry's round contained seven birdies and only dropped shot as he played himself into contention.
A -3 par back nine leaves him level with McIlroy in joint seventh.
He'll take that one!@ShaneLowryGolf shot a six-under 65 for a share of fourth in the Olympic #golf tournament at the halfway stage#olympics #tokyo2020 #RTESport
📺 Watch live - https://t.co/lLKXNi2qcd
📱 Updates - https://t.co/aoglAwSwia https://t.co/U0mKPCIZa6— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) July 30, 2021
The second round, just like the opening round, was subject to lightning delays and a dozen players have yet to finish their round include Paul Casey on -7 and local favourite Hideki Matsuyama on -8. They'll finish early tomorrow.
The third round is set to follow with the Irishmen among the final three or four groupings.
The medals will be decided early on Sunday morning (Irish time) and let's hope McIlroy and Lowry are in the mix.
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