Shubhankar Sharma and Jordan Smith share the halfway lead at the Irish Open as Rory McIlroy struggles to mount a bid to win his home event for the second time.
The 2016 champion and No. 2-ranked player holed out for eagle from 116 yards at No. 16, only to follow that up with a double-bogey at the 17th after finding the rough off the tee and his second shot and missing a bogey putt from 4 feet. He then got up-and-down from a greenside bunker for a birdie at the last.
McIlroy was tied for 26th place and in a group including Adrian Meronk, the defending champion from Poland who also shot 70. Sharma, who tied for eighth at the British Open at Hoylake either side of four straight missed cuts on regular European tour events, briefly had a six-shot lead on 14 under after racing to the turn in just 28 shots with seven birdies and two pars.
The Indian player could only cover the last seven holes in 1 over, then saw Smith — an afternoon starter — reel him in.“I took a four-week break after the Open and was sick last week so spent most of the weekend sleeping on my couch, but I still have good memories from the Open so I am just trying to continue that form,” Sharma said.The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting.
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