Mixed fortunes for McIlroy and McKibbin; Maguire exits Amateur; Byrne wins Leitrim Cup
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy shot his low round of the season to roar into the mix at the Travelers Championship as Holywood clubmate Tom McKibbin racked up a nightmare 11 in a career-high 83 in Germany.
McIlroy made eight birdies in 15 holes before finding water at the eighth, where he made an ace on Thursday and racked up a double bogey five en route to a six-under 64 at TPC River Highlands.
It left the world number three tied for 10th on eight-under-par, seven shots behind Denny McCarthy (65) and Keegan Bradley (and 63), who lead by two shots from Chez Reavie (63) on 15-under.
“Everything was just a little bit better today,” said McIlroy, who made five birdie putts between 14 and 25 feet, covering the back nine in five-under 309 before following three front nine birdies with that mistake at his 17th.
“I played more solid, gave myself more opportunities, you know, eradicated most of the mistakes I made yesterday.”
As for that costly double, he said: “The wind just sort of switched on us. Hit a pretty good shot. I just misjudged the wind a little bit and it came up short — the one place you couldn't miss today on that hole.”
Shane Lowry made three birdies and two bogeys in a 69 to share 22nd on seven-under but Séamus Power missed the four-under-par cut by one stroke after a 68.
It was also a bad day for Porsche European Open winner McKibbin on his return to Germany for the BMW International in Munich.
The Holywood starlet (20) was sitting on the level par cut line with three holes to go when he racked up a septuple-bogey 11 at the dangerous 16th.
After finding water with his approach, he hit his fifth into heavy rough over the green, then chipped twice into the pond en route to his highest score as a professional, an 11-over 83.
Kinsale’s John Murphy also suffered, adding an 81 to his opening 82 at Golfclub München Eichenried as New Zealand’s Daniel Hillier shot 67 to lead Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen by a shot on nine-under.
On the Ladies European Tour, Olivia Mehaffey made four birdies, four bogeys and a double-bogey in a two-over 74 to share 48th place, six strokes behind the Isle of Man’s Ana Dawson in the Tipsport Czech Ladies Open.
At the PGA TOUR Champions’ DICK’S Sporting Goods Open in New York, Darren Clarke shot a four-under 68 to share fourth place, just four shots behind leader Joe Durant, as defending champion Pádraig Harrington carded a 69 to share 14th on three-under.
At the weather-delayed Open de Bretagne on the Challenge Tour, Cormac Sharvin followed a 64 with a three-over 73 to share 13th place in the clubhouse with Dermot McElroy (12 holes) on three-under-par.
They were three shots behind France’s Felix Mory, who shot a level par 71 to lead on six-under.
On the Legends Tour, former Ryder Cup star Peter Baker carded a bogey-free, six-under 66 at Seapoint Golf Links to lead the Irish Legends by one stroke from England’s Gary Wolstenholme and former US Open champion Michael Campbell.
Sara Byrne (Douglas) on the 1st tee during Round 2 of the AIG Irish Women's Amateur Close Championship at Connemara Golf Links. Picture: Golffile | Thos Caffrey
In the Amateur Championship at Hillside, Laytown and Bettystown’s Alex Maguire fell 3& 2 to England’s Frank Kennedy in the quarter-finals.
Kennedy went on to lose by one hole to 2018 East of Ireland winner Christo Lamprecht of South Africa, who will face Switzerland’s Ronan Kleu, an 8&6 winner over Thailand’s TK Chantananuwat, in today’s 36-hole final.
In the AIG Irish Women’s Close at Connemara Golf Links, 2018 winner Sara Byrne from Douglas took the Leitrim Cup as the leading qualifier when she added a five-under 67 to her opening 69 to edge out defending champion Beth Coulter (68) after a countback.
They finished on eight-under-par, one stroke clear of Lahinch’s Aine Donegan (68) as KIlkenny’s Jan Brown claimed the 16th and final qualifying place on four over and a first-round clash with Byrne.
