Lowry lurking; Leona's close call; Rory slips; Ireland fall
Leona Maguire made a fantastic second round charge but missed the cut in her first start of 2020
Shane Lowry bounced back from his Abu Dhabi disappointment to move onto the fringes of contention in the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
The Open champion followed a hard-fought 72 with a three-under 69 to move up to tied 15th, just five shots behind halfway leader Eddie Pepperell. Scores
Having taken his mind off his missed cut last weekend by taking his daughter to Legoland, he's got an opportunity now to place some important Ryder Cup building blocks in place.
Ryder Cup skipper Pádraig Harrington confessed to hitting the ball "all over the place" as he shot 75 to sneak in for the weekend on the two-over cut mark.
But he’s acutely aware of all moves in the Ryder Cup qualifying race even if he doesn’t yet have to worry about his three wildcards.
“Later on, it will be more obvious who is in the team,” he said. “Then I’ll be looking at who I might pick.”
Pepperell fired a five-under 67 to lead by a shot on eight-under-par from South African Dean Burmester, Ryder Cup vice-captain Robert Karlsson (50) and defending champion Bryson DeChambeau.
But it was a day to forget for Graeme McDowell as he dropped five shots in his last five holes and shot 75 and miss the cut by one stroke.
Farmers Insurance Open
On the PGA Tour, Rory McIlroy picked up two early birdies at the seventh and ninth but dropped shots at the 12th, 15th and 18th in a second-round 73 on the South Course at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.
The Co Down slipped back to tied 17th on four-under, six strokes behind Ryan Palmer who shot a 10-under 62 on the North Course.
Tiger Woods started with a four-putt double bogey but carded a one-under 71 to join McIlroy on four-under. Scores
Leona’s close call in Florida
On the LPGA Tour, Leona Maguire made a tremendous attempt to undo the damage of an opening 79 but came up just one stroke shy of making the cut in the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio in Florida.
The Co Cavan rookie birdied four of her first 11 holes, bogeyed the 12th but then birdied the 16th and 17th to get to back to two-over.
She needed a birdie three at the last to sneak inside the top 70 and ties but had to settle for par and the weekend off.
Stephanie Meadow made four birdies, two bogeys and a double-bogey in a level par 72 to lie nine strokes behind Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom in a tie for 34th on one-under. Scores
Super seniors
Meanwhile, Kilkenny’s Jimmy Bolger (67-69) and Belfast’s Damian Mooney (70-66) finished joint top with Spain’s Victor Casado on four-under at the First Stage of the Staysure Tour Qualifying School at Silves Golf in Portugal to progress to next week’s Final Stage battle for five cards. The conclusion of the qualifier at Gramacho was delayed due to weather until today.
Ireland fall to England in Spain
In amateur golf, Ireland fell 5-4 to England in the title decider and finished second in the Octagonal Trophy at Club de Golf Costa Ballena in Cadiz.
The men in green lost the foursomes 2-1 but despite putting up a tremendous fight in horrific weather conditions of wind and rain, they could only share the singles 3-3.
Octagonal Trophy, Club de Golf Costa Ballena, Cadiz, Spain
1st & 2nd place match: Ireland 4, England 5 (Irish names first)
Foursomes:
R Brazill & R Lester bt S Broadhurst & J Brooks 5/4; E Griffin & P O’Keeffe lost to J Harvey & A Edwards - Hill 5/4; K Egan & M McClean lost to M Martin & S Bairstow 3/2.
Singles:
Brazill lost to Broadhurst 1 up; Lester bt Bairstow 2/1; O’Keeffe bt Martin 2 up; Egan lost to Brooks 2/1; Griffin lost to Edwards - Hill 3/1; McClean bt Harvey 6/4.
3rd & 4th place, Spain 5, Netherlands 4; 5th & 6th, Portugal 6, Germany 3; 7th & 8th, Czech Rep. 2, Italy 7.
