Limerick's Tim Rice edged ahead of the field with a superb five under par 67 on the second day of the 107th Irish PGA Championship at Moyvalley Hotel and Golf Resort.

With blustery conditions whipping showers across the Twin Oaks course the 40-year-old produced a composed display which, given the conditions, was every bit as good as his opening 66.

Starting at the 10th, the Limerick GC man went to the turn in one under par 35, with birdies at the 10th, 13th and 14th undone by dropped shots at the 16th and 17th.

He made no mistakes on his back nine, coming back in four under 36 with birdies at the second, fourth, sixth and eighth.

“In many ways it was very similar to the opening round. There are plenty of chances out there,” said Tim.

“I have been hitting it quite close; I'm not missing many greens and I'm making the most of the par fives.”

Colm Moriarty (Drive Golf Performance) finds himself in familiar territory at an Irish PGA Championship, three shots back with two rounds remaining. The 38-year-old, joint leader after round one, followed up with a second round 70.

Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge GC), who also opened with a bogey-free round of 66 slipped five shots behind Rice following a second round 72.

“I didn't play great today to be honest. Plus I got a few horrible lies,” said Richard.

“Yesterday I got a few breaks but today I didn't get them - that was the difference.

“Still I'm in touch I will go away and do a bit of work tonight on the long game because I'm just not finding enough fairways.”

Defending champion Damien McGrane is six shots back after a second round 69, a figure matched by David Higgins (Waterville Links).

The cut fell at +7 with 53 players making it through to the final two days of competition on Saturday and Sunday. The opening two-ball will begin from the first tee on Saturday at 8 am.

The leading trio of Kilpatrick, Moriarty and Rice kick off their third round at 10.50am.

Moyvalley Twin Oaks 107th Irish PGA Championship

Sponsored by Moyvalley Hotel & Golf Resort (€30,000) Par 72

After 36 holes

Detailed scores

133 Tim Rice (Limerick Golf Club) 66 67

136 Colm Moriarty (Drive Golf Performance Limited) 66 70

138 Richard Kilpatrick (Banbridge Golf Club) 66 72

139 Damien McGrane (Unatt) 70 69, David Higgins (Waterville Golf Links) 70 69

140 David Ryan (Cahir Park Golf Club) 71 69

142 Simon Thornton (Simon Thornton Golf) 70 72

143 Mark Whelan (Castlewarden Golf & Country Club) 67 76, Michael McGeady (Seamus Duffy Golf Academy) 70 73, Adam Dunmore (Bundoran Golf Club) 70 73

144 Keith Shannon (Unatt) 71 73, Mark Staunton (Delgany Golf Club) 72 72, Cian McNamara (Monkstown Golf Club) 71 73, Mark O’Mahony (Titleist National Fitting Centre) 76 68, Eddie Tracey (Ballina Golf Club) 72 72, Shane Jenkinson (St Margaret’s Golf & Country C) 70 74

145 Damian Mooney (Damian Mooney Golf) 72 73

146 Joe Dillon (Headfort Golf Club) 72 74, Donal Gleeson (Old Conna Golf Club) 71 75, Tara Delaney (The Eddie Doyle Golf Academy) 72 74, Harry Coyne (Carton House)  74 72 

147 Eamonn Brady (Clontarf Golf Club) 73 74, Jimmy Bolger (Kilkenny Golf Club) 73 74, Daniel Beattie (Deer Park Hotel Golf & Spa) 76 71, Jerry Scullion (Kilkeel Golf Club) 68 79, Hazel Kavanagh (Carr Golf Centre at Spawell) 72 75. Ted Higgins (www.tedhiggins.com) 73 74

148 Michael McDermott (Grange Golf Club) 74 74, Brian Jnr McCormack (Edenderry Golf Academy) 74 74, Mark O’Sullivan (Piltown Driving Range) 72 76, Michael O’Shea (Rathsallagh Golf Club) 76 72, Bernard Quigley (Tullamore Golf Club)  73 75,   Liam Whelan (Craddockstown Golf Club) 72 76, Brian O’Reilly (Glenlo Abbey Golf Club) 72 76

149 Ciaran Molloy (Ardee Golf Club) 76 73, Eoin Arthurs (Kinsealy Grange Golf Academy) 72 77, Dean Redmond (Heritage Golf & C Club) 76 73

150 Gerry Burke (Royal Curragh Golf Club) 76 74, David Foley (Dromoland Castle GC)  78 72,  Glen Robinson (Craddockstown Golf Club)  76 74, Brian Doheny (Callan Golf Club)  75 75,  Eoin O’Connor (Kilkenny Golf Club) 76 74, David Barry (Douglas Golf Club) 74 76, Niall McGlynn (GUI National Academy) 74 76, Mark Ruddy (Charlesland G&CC) 75 75, Ciaran Lavery (Concra Wood Golf Club) 76 74, Padraig Dooley (Drive Golf Performance Limited) 77 73, Kevin Foy (Stepaside Golf Centre) 73 77, Anthony Hanlon (Stackstown Golf Club) 74 76 

151 Kenny Fahey (GUI National Academy) 77 74, Conor Coyne (Lisheen Springs Golf Club) 76 75, Shane Franklin (Cregmore Park Golf Club) 77 74, Christopher Carvill (Belvoir Park Golf Club) 73 78

CUT

152 Steven Quinlan (Halpenny Golf Club) 74 78, James Quinlivan (Mullingar Golf Club) 73 79, John Murray (Malahide Golf Club) 77 75

153 Ryan Donagher (Castleknock Golf Club) 76 77, Mark Sutton (GUI National Academy) 77 76, Eric Byrne (Mullingar Golf Club) 77 76

154 Richard Creamer (Arklow Golf Club) 75 79, Derry Kiely (Faithlegg Golf Club) 75 79, Cian Hurley (Emirates Golf Club) 76 78, Kelan McDonagh (GUI National Academy) 72 82, Donal Murphy (Grange Castle Golf Club) 73 81, Daniel O’Connor (Athlone Golf Club) 73 81

155 Raymond Ryan (Thurles Golf Club) 78 77, Stephen McCarthy (Black Bush Golf Club) 78 77, Callum Slater (Headfort Golf Club) 75 80, Josh Adams (Stackstown Golf Club) 75 80

157 Ciaran McKenna (Mallow Golf Club) 77 79, Mark Murphy (McGuirks Golf) 80 76, Barry Davis (Greystones Golf Club) 76 80, Ciaran Hegarty (Castleknock Golf Club) 79 77, Seamus Clinton (Gormanstown Driving Range & Golf) 75 81

158 David Ruddy (Ballykisteen Hotel & Golf Resort) 73 84, Christopher Loughrey (Castlerock Golf Club) 79 78, Iarlaith Keane (Unatt) 75 82

159 Ian Brennan (Greenore Golf Club) 76 82, Karl Goodwin (Castlerock Golf Club) 78 80, Bernard Fitzgerald (Lisheen Springs Golf Club) 81 77, Brendan Walton (Unatt) 77 82

160 William Noble (County Cavan Golf Club) 80 80, Peter Morgan (Elm Park Golf Club) 83 77

161 Patrick Fay (Knightsbrook Golf & Country Club) 82 79

162 Andy Hogan (Edmondstown Golf Club) 82 80, Stephen Barry (Royal Tara Golf Club) 83 79, Rory Sweeney (Portmarnock Golf Club) 84 78, Dearbhla Behan (Unatt) 76 86, Michael Hutchinson (Lisburn Golf Club) 84 78

163 Stephen Rayfus (Knightsbrook Golf & Country Club) 82 81, Melvyn Flanagan (Athlone Golf Academy) 79 84

164 John Dignam (Slade Valley Golf Club) 77 87, Damien Scott (Farnham Estate Golf Club) 82 82, Stephen Walsh (Royal Dublin Golf Club) 80 84, Darragh Morrissey (Newcastle West Golf Club) 79 85, 

165 Mark Peat Westmanstown Golf Club) 84 81, Leonard Owens (Unatt) 85 80

166 Jim Robinson (Co. Sligo Golf Club) 84 82, Shane McCabe (Killeen Golf Club) 80 86, Dan Hinds (City of Derry Golf Club) 83 83

167 Diarmaid Fraser (Killarney Golf & Fishing Club) 81 86

169 David Thompson (Killymoon Golf Club) 79 90

173 Matthew Weir (Spa Golf Club) 91 82

177 Killian Cullen (County Meath Golf Club) 88 89

180 Anthony Judd (Forrest Little Golf Club) 92 88

WD Mark Beckett (Killarney Golf & Fishing Club), Cormac Hennessy (St Anne’s Golf Club), Kevin McGivern (Mannan Castle Golf Club), David Mortimer (Galway Golf Club), Michael Mulryan (Cregboy Golf Academy), Alan Staunton (Hollywood Lakes Golf Club),  Christopher Watt (Concra Wood Golf Club) 

RTD Peter O’Hagan (Luttrellstown Castle Golf Club), David Hughes (Massereene Golf Club).