Horizon Irish Open: Jorge Campillo holds halfway lead; Shane Lowry birdies last four holes to make cut | Golf News

Lowry birdies his final four holes to post a second-round 70 and make the cut on home soil; Campillo holds a one-shot lead over Fabrizio Zanotti and Adrian Meronk; watch the Irish Open live on Saturday from 1pm on Sky Sports Golf

Jorge Campillo holds the halfway lead at the Horizon Irish Open, as home favourite Shane Lowry battled through to the weekend after a remarkable four-birdie finish to his second round.

Campillo mixed six birdies with two bogeys to post a four-under 68 on Friday at Mount Juliet, taking the Spaniard to 11 under and a shot ahead of Fabrizio Zanotti and Poland’s Adrian Meronk.

The world No 350 recovered from a three-putt bogey early in his round to birdie four of his next six holes and turn in 33, with Campillo adding further birdies at the third and fifth before seeing his lead reduced when he failed to get up and down from the sand to save par at the par-three sixth.

Shane Lowry won the Irish Open as an amateur in 2009

“I played great over the last two days, so I can’t complain,” Campillo said. “It was great two days. Today was a little tougher than yesterday and I managed to play okay as well, so I’m quite happy about it.”

Ireland’s Seamus Power posted a second successive 68 to stay within three of the lead and in the group tied-fourth with Aaron Rai, Jacko Senior, David Law and Sebastian Soderberg – who carded a round-of-the-day 66 – as overnight leader Ryan Fox slipped four behind after a one-over 73.

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Watch Séamus Power hit the shot of the day at the Irish Open with some ‘Fitzpatrick-esque’ bunker magic.

Lowry looked set for an early exit when he bogeyed both par-fives around the turn and cancelled out a birdie at the 12th with a dropped shot at the par-four next, taking him over par for the tournament, only for the top seed to go on a brilliant birdie run to make it through on three under.

The world No 24 got up and down from a fairway bunker to pick up a shot at the 15th and rolled in from 12 feet at the par-four next, before a two-putt gain at the par-five 17th and 20-foot birdie at the last saw him salvage a two-under 70.

“It was pretty cool,” Lowry said. “To be honest, I had kind of resigned myself to the fact I was going home, packing my bags. Don’t know if I’ve ever birdied the last four to make a cut so that’s a first. I’m just happy to be in the weekend. Everybody knows how much this tournament means to me.”

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Following his four-birdie finish to make the cut for this weekend’s Irish Open, Shane Lowry says that he thought he was going home.

Last year’s Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington also produced a birdie-birdie finish to also avoid a missed cut, bouncing back from the double-bogey on the par-four seventh, with Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre also in the group eight behind after a one-over 73.

This week’s event is part of the Open Qualifying Series, with the leading three players finishing in the top ten – and not already exempt – earning places in The 150th Open at St Andrews later this month.

Watch the Horizon Irish Open throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Saturday from 1pm on Sky Sports Golf!