Shane Lowry birdied two of his last three holes to move into contention in his first start of 2020 at the Asian Tour's Hong Kong Open.

The Open champion (32) followed his opening 69 with a four-under 66 at Hong Kong Golf Club to go into the weekend tied for seventh on five-under-par, just four strokes behind Australia's Wade Ormsby.

Scores

"I am very pleased to be honest," said Lowry, who hit 16 greens in regulation as he made birdies at the second, fourth, ninth, 16th and 17th and dropped just one shot by three-putting from long range at the seventh. 

"It's my first tournament in a while, and you don't really know how you are going to play. You are out there on a tricky golf course, and I played two really nice rounds.

"I didn't really hole much for five-under after two rounds, so I am happy where I am, I am right where I want to be, and I am looking forward to the weekend."

Playing alongside 17-year-old Korean sensation Joohyung Kim and the Asian Tour Order of Merit holder, Thailand's Jazz Janewattananond (24), Lowry made a two from close range at the par-three second, then slotted home a curling, right to left birdie putt from around 12 feet at the fourth.

He bogeyed the seventh when he misjudged his tricky approach putt from the fringe and three-putted after coming up well short.

But he rebounded quickly, feeding a lovely approach down to five feet to set up a birdie at the ninth.

He had to wait until the 16th for his next birdie but took advantage of a good tee shot to fire a wedge to just three feet before hitting another excellent iron shot to five feet at the 17th.

Ormsby followed his first-round 65 with a 66 to lead by two strokes from India's SSP Chawrasia (63) on nine-under with Australia's Travis Smyth (68), Thai pair Gunn Charoenkul (67) and Janewattananond (66) and India's Shiv Kapur (66) three behind on six-under. 

"I said if I got to double figures under par, I'd be happy enough," Lowry said of his goal for the week. "I think as the weekend goes on, the golf course is going to dry out and it's going to start playing trickier. 

"I think 10, 11, 12-under will have a chance at the weekend. You never know. Wade is nine (under) now. If he has a really good weekend, he might run away, but hopefully I can shoot two decent scores and give myself a chance."

American world No 16 Tony Finau was tied for 23rd on two-under-par after a second successive 69.

At the PGA Tour’s Sony Open in Hawaii, Graeme McDowell opened with a one-over 71 before play was suspended due to darkness

He was six shots behind Colin Morikawa, whose five-under 65 gave him a two-stroke lead over Matt Jones, Ted Potter Jnr, Ryan Palmer and Sam Ryder.