Irish Open: Zander Lombard Leads At Halfway Stage

After a second round of 67, South Africa’s Zander Lombard has the lead at the halfway point of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open at Lahinch Golf Club.

After a first-round 64 to kick off the Irish Open, Zander Lombard followed that up with a three-under-par second round to lead by one shot from England’s Eddie Pepperell.

The pair will go out in the last group on Saturday afternoon, with the Englishman sat at -8 after two days, with a group of three a further shot back.

Despite being 46 years of age, Lee Westwood is in the running for a European Tour title, with the former World No.1 two shots back at -7. Also in a tie for third are Abraham Ancer and Jorge Campillo, with the latter shooting a 64 on Friday, the low round of the day.

There is a group of six at -6, just three shots back. Both Andy Sullivan and Niklas Lemke shot 66 on the second day to move up the leaderboard, with Hyowon Park, Wade Ormsby, Thorbjorn Olesen and Brandon Stone also in a tie for sixth place in Ireland.

Defending Champion Russell Knox came up with this stunning finish on 18 to shoot 68, leaving himself at -5 at halfway, just four shots back from leader Lombard.

First round leader Padraig Harrington followed up his first round of 63 with a 73, dropping down from the lead into a tie for 21st, alongside Matt Wallace, Martin Kaymer, Tommy Fleetwood, Haotong Li and countryman Seamus Power among others.

Another home favourite sits in the group at -2. Shane Lowry is seven shots back at the halfway stage, along with former Masters Champion Louis Oosthuizen and Ryder Cup hero Jon Rahm.

Ian Poulter just snuck in to the weekend’s action at Lahinch, despite a three-over-par round of 73 on Friday. He is among those at -1, with Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Bradley Dredge and Richard Sterne, plus many more.

66 players were in the red numbers after day two, and made the cut. Those on level par all missed out, including recent European Tour winners Andrea Pavan and Adrian Otaegui, Ryder Cup team members Tyrrell Hatton, Thomas Pieters and Graeme McDowell, and former Masters Champion Danny Willett.

Last week’s winner, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, was unable to conjure up a miracle after a first round 74. He shot 71 on day two to finish at +5, six shots below the cut line and in a tie for 125th.

The first pairing features two South Africans, in Jacques Kruyswijk and Richard Sterne, will get Saturday’s action underway at 07:10, with leader Zander Lombard teeing it up with Eddie Pepperell at 12:50.

It’s shaping up to be an incredible weekend at the Irish Open. Expect things to stay tight right down to the end on Sunday.

Irish Open Leaderboard after Round 2:

-9: Zander Lombard (RSA)

-8: Eddie Pepperell (ENG)

-7: Abraham Ancer (MEX), Jorge Campillo (ESP), Lee Westwood (ENG)

-6: Andy Sullivan (ENG), Wade Ormsby (AUS), Hyowon Park (SKO) Niklas Lemke (SWE), Brandon Stone (RSA), Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN)

-5: Robert MacIntyre (SCO), Russell Knox (SCO), Oliver Wilson (ENG), Paul Waring (ENG), Cormac Sharvin (NIR), Sebastian Soderberg (SWE), Bernd Wiesberger (AUT), Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA), Rafa Cabrera Bello (ESP)