LOWRY JOY AS BIRDIE RUN SAVES WEEKEND

Spain’s Jorge Campillo set the pace at the halfway stage of the Horizon Irish Open as home favourite Shane Lowry staged a grandstand finish to make the cut at Mount Juliet.

Lowry looked set for an early exit until he birdied his last four holes for a second round of 70, the former Open champion rounding off a brilliant fightback by holing from 20 feet on the 18th to the delight of the large crowds.

Playing partner and compatriot Seamus Power also birdied the last in a second consecutive 68 to leave him eight under, three behind Campillo.

Aberdeen’s David Law carded a second round 69 to also sit tied fourth on eight under heading into the weekend.

“It was pretty cool,” Lowry said with considerable understatement.

“To be honest I’d almost half-resigned myself to the fact that I was going home, packing my bags.

“Everybody knows how much this tournament means to me and how much I want to be here. I know it’s sold out at the weekend and there’s quite a few people who want to come down and see me play, so it’s nice that I’m here now and I’m looking forward to the weekend.”

At three under par Lowry is eight shots off the pace as he looks to win the event for a second time, the 35-year-old famously lifting the title as an amateur in 2009.

Campillo added a 68 to his opening 65 for a halfway total of 11 under par, one shot ahead of Poland’s Adrian Meronk and Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti.

Three-time major winner Padraig Harrington joined Lowry in making the cut on three under thanks to a brilliant finish, the newly-crowned US Senior Open champion following a double bogey on the seventh – his 16th hole – with birdies on the eighth and ninth.

Veteran Scot Marc Warren rolled back the years with a five under 70 leaving him six shots off the lead on five under.

Oban’s Robert MacIntyre was two further back after a second round 73. Stephen Gallacher and Richie Ramsay are both three under par. Greig Hutcheon and Connor Syme are four over after a 72 and a 75 respectively.