Another day at The K Club, another day for low scoring and the field took advantage.
After opening the Horizon Irish Open with a 7-under 65 Thursday and sleeping on the solo 18-hole lead, Shubhankar Sharma was one worse Friday, shooting a 6-under 66 and is joined atop the leaderboard by Jordan Smith at 13 under.
“It was a really quick start,” Sharma told the media in Kildare, Ireland. “Very early morning start for us, so I was a bit sleepy in the morning. I managed to make a lot of putts on the front nine. I had nine single putts which was amazing. I don’t think I’ve done that before.
“Everything was just going nicely. I was hitting it in the right spots and I was really good inside ten feet. So it all came together.”
Irish Open: Full leaderboard
Smith, after a first-round 66, fired a 7-under 65 that included nine birdies and a double bogey on the par-4 17th. The Englishman, who won the Portugal Masters last year for his second DP World Tour win, tied for 20th at last week’s European Masters.
Ross Fisher (6-under 66) is alone in third at 12 under, Hurly Long (6-under 66) is in solo fourth at 11 under, while Calum Hill (7-under 65) is fifth at 10 under.
As for the big names, Shane Lowry (4-under 68) is solo ninth at 8 under, five back, and Rory McIlroy is tied for 26th at 5 under, eight back.
The shot of the day came from the Northern Irishman when he drained his 116-yard approach into the par-5 16th for eagle.
HOLE OUT EAGLE FOR @McIlroyRory
#HorizonIrishOpen pic.twitter.com/8J2nJ9kgDV
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 8, 2023
Coverage of the Irish Open continues Saturday morning on Golf Channel from 7:30 a.m. ET to 12:30 p.m. ET.