Irish Open 2015: Leaderboard Scores and Highlights from Friday

There’s a six-way tie atop the Irish Open leaderboard after Day 2, as the County Down continued to push some of the world's finest golfers.

Tyrrell Hatton is one of those players at the summit, and the Englishman shot the low round of the day—a five-under 66—to move to three under par for the tournament. Alongside him are Bernd Wiesberger, Richie Ramsay, Soren Kjeldsen, Chris Wood and Rafael Cabrera-Bello.

Rory McIlroy played a lot better on Day 2, but a level-par round wasn’t enough to see the world No. 1 make the cut after a disastrous opening day.

Here’s how the leaderboard is shaping up ahead of the weekend:

Pos	Name	Round 2 Score	Overall
T1	Bernd Wiesberger	67	-3
T1	Richie Ramsay	67	-3
T1	Soren Kjeldsen	70	-3
T1	Tyrrell Hatton	66	-3
T1	Chris Wood	69	-3
T1	Rafael Cabrera-Bello	68	-3
T7	Padraig Harrington	73	-2
T7	Luke Donald	70	-2
9	Matt Ford	71	-1
T10	Rickie Fowler	71	Even

For the full leaderboard check out the official European Tour website.

Dramatic Day 2 Sets Up Intriguing Weekend

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Though the struggles of illustrious names like McIlroy and Martin Kaymer will disappoint those who were hoping to see some superstars in action this weekend, what is lacking in big names will surely be supplemented by drama.

As we can see here courtesy of the European Tour Twitter account, though he won’t be around for Saturday and Sunday, McIlroy treated his supporters to some moments of magic in an improved second round:

With six players tied on three under, we’re set for an absorbing Day 3—especially when factoring in three-time major winner Padraig Harrington and former world No. 1 Luke Donald, who will go out just one shot behind the leaders.

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Harrington will have actually been a little disappointed with a two-over round of 73, especially after holding a share of the lead coming into Day 2.

“I'm pleased to be in contention but I would have preferred to be seven or eight under par and in a good position to move away from the field,” he said, per BBC Sport.

Donald has also been extremely consistent at County Down:

Hatton was the star of the day, however, as a collection of players scrapped for the lead. As we can see here, it was a landmark round for the Englishman:

Wiesberger is a player to keep an eye on over the weekend. The Austrian showcased his quality with an impressive 67, and on the European Tour this year, he’s proved capable of putting together stunning sequences of low scoring; if he can do so in difficult conditions, he could streak clear of the field.

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The most solid player on Day 2 was Cabrera-Bello. As we can see here, the Spaniard was the first player this week to conquer what has been a tough course without dropping a solitary shot:

Rickie Fowler has done brilliantly to stay in contention. The American is three shots back going into the weekend, but after playing alongside McIlroy and Kaymer, who both endured abject beginnings to this competition, getting around at level par represents an excellent achievement.

The tournament’s official Twitter account posted this snap of Fowler and the world No. 1 after their round:

It’ll be disappointing not to have McIlroy in situ for the weekend being roared on by a clutch of fervent Irish support. But after missing the cut for the second successive tournament, some time away from the course to recuperate both mentally and physically could help the four-time major champion find form with some big challenges to come.

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Expect the affections of support to shift to the popular Harrington as he looks to get back on the trophy trail. But with Donald’s game in excellent shape and six players battling it out one shot ahead, it’s sure to be a thrilling climax to this year’s Irish Open.