‘If you get gusts like that, it’s going to be brutal’ – Matteo Manassero leads Irish Open but local heroes primed for challenge

The venerable Newcastle links might have been there for the taking early in round two, but McIlroy ‘only’ managed a one-under 70 to go into the weekend two shots behind the resurgent Italian Matteo Manassero (31) on four-under-par, with Lowry five behind after a 69.

The young gentleman from Verona – the youngest winner in DP World Tour history at 17 – is now contending for promotion to the PGA Tour just three years after almost quitting the game.

He made two eagles in a five-under 66 in the worst of the afternoon wind to lead by a shot from English duo Laurie Canter and Todd Clements on six-under.

But he also knows the relentless Co Down links will be a test of stamina, mental strength and golfing mastery this weekend.

“I played really well,” Manassero said. “I am so happy with how I handled myself in difficult conditions this afternoon. There is not much you can do. You have to hit good shots, and the way the golf course is, you need to start it in the right place with the right trajectory and the right shape. Otherwise, it is just not good enough. So I am really happy with how I played and obviously with the score.”

With southerly gusts of 40 km/h forecast for today, the tournament remains wide open, with the entire field covered by just eight strokes. McIlroy shares fourth place on four-under, with Lowry 19th on one-under and the brilliant Roganstown amateur Seán Keeling (17) just a shot further back on level-par after he shot 72 to become the youngest Irish player to make the cut since 16-year-old Ronan Rafferty in 1980.

Just five of the 11-strong Irish contingent made the weekend and, like Tom McKibbin, Power shot an adventurous 69 featuring six birdies and two double-bogeys as they made it with a shot to spare on one-over.

Still, he’s not ruling himself out if the wind blows on a course where blind shots and speedy, narrow greens brutally punish the slightest mistake. “The standard of golf is crazy,” Power said after hauling himself back from the brink with birdies at the 15th and 17th. “Plus three for two rounds, and you’re going home… mental.”

Even trailing Manassero by seven strokes, he feels he has a chance.

​“If you get gusts like that, it’s going to be brutal,” he said. “What’s he? Six-under? It wouldn’t shock me if he came back. You never know.

“I feel if I can get to two- or three-under tomorrow going into Sunday, I don’t think I’m going to be too far back. A lead like that can be gone in a hole or two and there are eagle chances out here in a certain wind direction.”

Just ask Alejandro del Rey, tied for fourth with McIlroy and Ewen Ferguson on four-under. The Spaniard got to eight-under with four to play but made a quadruple-bogey eight at the 15th in a 71, while Dan Brown was six-under before he made a triple-bogey seven at the ninth to slip back to three-under.

McIlroy is relishing the challenge and is optimistic too, pointing to his six consecutive top-10s in the US Open.

“I’ve really started to enjoy this type of golf,” said the Co Down man, who believes it’s important the home challenge is there for the weekend.

“You look at my last five US Opens, I’ve started to enjoy having to make a lot of pars and stay disciplined, and definitely something that I’m proud of, and I’ve matured in my game a bit to be able to do that. I used to shy away from it but I try to now embrace the more difficult, the better.”

As for the home challenge, he added: “It’s always good for a national open for the home guys to be playing well. I saw Shane shot a couple under today. Tom played great, too… It’s always good to have that home interest, and it will get the crowd going over the weekend.”

Lowry would love to beat McIlroy to a second Irish Open win – “It would be nice to go toe-to-toe on Sunday” – but he has his work cut out.

“Look, the conditions are going to be tough,” he said of what might be wet and windy weather. “It’s not going to take too good a score to give yourself a chance going into Sunday.”

Manassero is prepared for a gruelling mental and physical challenge.

“It takes a lot of energy out of you, the cold and the wind for sure,” he said. “But when you are playing well, the adrenaline kicks in, and I am looking forward to tomorrow.”

As for the rest of the Irish, Simon Thornton missed the cut by two shots after a 73 while a 74 for Pádraig Harrington and 75s for amateur Max Kennedy and Conor Purcell left them a shot further back.

Amgen Irish Open, Live, RTÉ2/Sky Sports, 12.30/2.30

Irish Open Rd 3

Tee-times

07:25 Jones, Ko

07:35 Donald, Jarvis

07:45 Waring, Green

07:55 Knappe, Paratore

08:05 Law, Catlin

08:15 Kjeldsen, Rai

08:25 Power, Olesen

08:40 Hoshino, Scrivener

08:50 Stone, Luiten

09:00 Van Driel, Pavan

09:10 Elvira, McKibbin

09:20 Enefer, Guerrier

09:30 Wu, Baldwin

09:40 Wilson, Kieffer

09:55 Dean, A Fitzpatrick

10:05 Keeling (am), Otaegui

10:15 Tarrio, Wiesberger

10:25 Rozner, Lawrence

10:35 Forrest, Saddier

10:45 Morrison, Penge

10:55 Schott, Mansell

11:10 Aiken, Walker

11:20 Smith, Välimäki

11:30 De Bruyn, MacIntyre

11:40 Lowry, Armitage

11:50 Lacroix, Prinsloo

12:00 Cockerill, Sharma

12:10 Celli, Norgaard

12:25 Dantorp, Van Rooyen

12:35 Syme, R Højgaard

12:45 Brown, Hill

12:55 Ferguson, Del Rey

13:05 McIlroy, Clements

13:15 Canter, Manassero.