01로어리, 홈 관중 앞에서 역사적 라운드 연출
아일랜드의 쇼네 로어리가 금요일 아이리시 오픈 2라운드에서 둔베그의 역대 코스 신기록 62타를 기록했다. 트럼프 인터내셔널 골프 링크스 & 호텔에서 9개의 버디와 1개의 보기를 기록한 그는 11언더파 상태로 리더보드 최상단에 자리했다.
39세의 로어리는 초라운드 67타에 이어 금요일 더 나은 날씨 조건을 활용해 경기 초반 그룹을 주도했다. 3번과 5번 홀에서의 정확한 어프로치와 4번 홀의 22피트 장거리 버디로 시작한 그는 3번째부터 5번째 홀까지 연속 3개 버디를 기록했고, 7번에서 9번 홀까지 추가 3개 버디를 더하며 전반 30타로 마감했다.
10번 홀의 결정적인 파 세이브가 모멘텀을 유지하는 데 도움이 됐고, 11번과 12번 홀에서 연속 버디를 기록해 라운드 8언더까지 진행했다. 13번 홀에서의 유일한 3퍼트 보기를 제외하곤 흠 잡을 데 없는 플레이를 펼쳤으며, 15번 홀에서의 19피트 버디 퍼트로 리듬을 되찾았다. 마지막 18번 홀의 5번 아이언으로 정리한 그는 DP 월드 투어 첫 61타 기록은 놓쳤지만, 둔베그 역대 최저 스코어 62타를 기록했다.
"정말 즐거웠어요. 아주 즐거운 라운드였습니다"라고 말한 로어리는 이것이 자신의 DP 월드 투어 통산 네 번째 62타 라운드라고 덧붙였다. "좋은 스타트를 끊었고 계속 나아갔어요. 그 느낌이 좋았고, 페달을 밟으며 좋은 샷을 계속 치고 퍼트를 계속 싱크시켰습니다."
홈 관중의 성원이 두드러졌던 현장에서 로어리는 팬들의 응원을 즉시 언급했다. "오늘 크라우드가 정말 멋있었어요. 저를 응원해 주셨고, 모두에게 외칠 뭔가를 줄 수 있어서 좋았습니다."
좋은 스타트를 끊었고 계속 나아갔어요. 그 느낌이 좋았고, 페달을 밟으며 좋은 샷을 계속 치고 퍼트를 계속 싱크시켰습니다.
02리 3타 뒤로 덴마크 쌍이 추격
로어리의 역사적 라운드 뒤를 따르는 것은 중국의 하오통 리와 덴마크의 야콥 스코브 올레센, 니클라스 뇌르고르드다. 리는 10번 홀부터 시작한 이글-버디-버디 연속 경기로 탈진해 7언더 63타를 기록했다. 2015년 아이리시 오픈 이후 처음 컷을 통과한 리는 현재 코스 상태의 개선을 높이 평가했다.
"이번 주 코스 상태가 지난 몇 년과 다릅니다. 지난 수 년은 정말 부드러웠는데 이번 주 그린이 순수했고 볼이 백스핀을 거의 하지 않습니다. 날씨 상태도 아주 좋았어요"라고 리는 전했다.
올레센과 뇌르고르드는 모두 지난 허스크바나 브리티시 마스터즈에서 준우승을 차지했던 두 선수로, 64타씩 기록했다. 올레센은 14번부터 16번 홀까지 버디 폭발을 터뜨렸고, 뇌르고르드는 18번 홀에서 핀에 아주 가까운 샷으로 마지막 홀 버디를 완성해 추격 조에 합류했다.
03Original (English) — DP World Tour
Shane Lowry will take a three stroke lead into the weekend after delighting the home crowds on day two of the Amgen Irish Open with a course record 62.
The Irishman made nine birdies and one bogey at Trump International Golf Links & Hotel, Ireland, Doonbeg to set the target at 11 under par as he leads Haotong Li, Jacob Skov Olesen and Niklas Nørgaard.
The 39‑year‑old, who famously won this event as an amateur in 2009 and has played every edition since, followed up an opening 67 on Thursday by taking advantage of the easier conditions and setting the tone for the early groups on Friday.
Lowry made three birdies in a row from the third thanks to impressive approaches at three and five and a 22‑footer at the fourth, before adding three more at seven, eight and nine to make the turn in 30.
A crucial par save at the tenth kept his momentum intact, and he followed it with birdies at the 11th and 12th to reach eight under for his round.
A three‑putt bogey at the 13th was his only dropped shot of the day, but he responded with a 19‑footer for birdie at the 15th.
His five-iron to the last set up a final birdie chance, but while his effort left him just shy of a first DP World Tour 61, his 62 is still the lowest score recorded at Doonbeg.
"It was nice. It was real fun out there," he said of his fourth ever 62 on the DP World Tour.
"I got off to a nice start and then I just kept going. I felt great out there. Just kept my foot on the gas and tried to keep hitting good shots and keep holing putts.
"I liked the little birdie I made on 15 after the mistake I made on 13. Also, I think my par putt on 10 was probably my highlight of the day. After getting pretty unlucky with my second shot, I think I did a great job making par there."
The home fans were out in force around the par‑70 venue, and Lowry was quick to credit their support.
"The crowds were amazing out there today," he said. "They support me along the way and it was nice to give them something to shout about."
Leading the chasing pack for much of the morning was Haotong Li, whose eagle-birdie-birdie run from the 10th helped him into contention on his way to a seven-under-par 63.
Li, who hasn't made the cut in an Irish Open since 2015, said he's been enjoying the DP World Tour's latest course as he looks to build on his confidence.
"I think the course is different than last few times. Last few times was really soft. This week the greens are actually kind of pure, and the ball wasn't spinning back at all, like, compared to the previous ones. So, yeah, it's pretty decent condition and rolled some good putts.
"Yesterday was kind of like a little bit bad weather. Even some of the 3-feet par putts, I felt like they were shaking. But today it was kind of like birdie heaven, everything kind of going my way and the weather just holding out pretty nice.
"Just need to gain some confidence from those situations, and I just am very happy to have another opportunity to compete again."
Alongside Li are Danish pair Jacob Skov Olesen and Niklas Nørgaard, who both finished in a tie for second at the Husqvarna British Masters hosted by Sir Nick Faldo a couple of weeks ago, and carded a pair of 64s. While Olesen put together a burst of birdies on his back nine from the 14th to 16th holes, it was Nørgaard who got late cheers from the crowds after scaring the hole at the 18th and capping off his round with a closing birdie to join the chasing pack.
Nørgaard credited his bogey-free round - one of the best scores of the afternoon groups - to a change in strategy and his coach on the bag this week.
"I'm happy standing here," he said. "Didn't really feel that well on the first nine, but just kept plodding in and then started what I feel like playing pretty good golf on the back nine. But obviously very, very happy with this round.
"I think I've just been trying to have a little bit more fun in between shots. Now this week I have my coach on the bag, and I told him, Please don't say too much coaching things, let just be a friend out there. And then we have just been having some fun in between the shots.
Rasmus Højgaard, who posted an impressive 63 on Friday, enters the weekend as part of group a shot further back on seven under alongside first round leader Joaquin Niemann, Tom McKibbin, Ewen Ferguson and Kazuma Kobori.
Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed is currently tied tenth on six under with Andy Sullivan, Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen and Jens Dantorp.
