Irish Open: England & # 039; s Aaron Rai leads as Shane Lowry misses cut with Padraig Harrington also planning to leave

Aaron Rai fought well on a tough score day at Galgorm Castle to get a add level-par 70 to its opening 65 -5 A Rai (Eng); -4 R Rock (Eng), D Burmester (SA), J Lagergren (Swe); -3 S Hend (Aus), J Catlin (USA), J Harding (SA), E Ferguson (Scot), J Smith (Eng) 15 holes, T Tree (Eng ) 14, M Antcliff (Aus) 10 Selected others: -2 D Law (Scot), L Herbert (Aus), Level J Sugrue (AM) (Ire) 16; +1 S Gallacher (Scot); +2 J Caldwell (NI) 10, D McGrane (Ire) 13; +4 G Coetzee (SA), C Moriarty (Ire); +5 M Power (Ire) am; +6 P Harrington (Ire); +7 S Lowry (Ire)

England's Aaron Rai leads the Irish Open with one shot while Shane Lowry missed the cut and Padraig Harrington also up departure when the second round is completed on Saturday morning.

As the frost delayed Friday's start, Rai & # 39; s level-par 70 kept him down at five on his night total.

That left the world 251 one ahead of a trio including fellow countryman Robert Rock.

Lowry will definitely leave after a 72 left him out of seven with Padraig Harrington. to miss six left.

Harrington was left to rue a bogey near the last five, where his 3 meter par-putt came out with a horse after missing the fairway and also found it rough with his second and third shots.

When the second round was suspended, the triple big win was split in 74th place and needed an unlikely series of events early on Saturday morning to survive.

Shane Lowry suffered another day of frustration at Galgorm Castle

Lowry & # 39; s Sufferers three putt from six feet at 10

Open Champion Lowry's wretched day was summed up by a six-foot three putt on the 10th when a potentially momentum-generating birdie was turned into a bogey instead.

Another shot on the 13th left him at eight and while his first birdie came on the day the next day, he was unable to summon any heroic acts in his last four holes as he rushed to complete his second round in the increasing darkness.

Wolverhampton-born Rai, 25, was one of only two players to win bogey-free opening rounds. instant drop-shot on Friday to card four birdies on a tough day for s drilling as a north wind continued to blow after night frost delayed the start by 90 minutes.

"A bit of a mixed bag out there, but I think it was expected, the course played so tough," said Rai, whose only previous victory in the European Tour in 2018 at the Hong Kong Open was.

"Riding is key here, with how thick the rough it is, and I think I've been fine with it for the most part in recent days. have driven in.

Rock arguably made the round of the day as his 67th in the toughest conditions included just one dropped shot coming in sixth place.

He was joined on four under by Swede Joakim Lagergren, a Northern Ireland Open winner at the venue in 2014, who fired a 66 on Friday with South African Dean Burmester who continued to struggle when he added a 71 to his opening 65.

& # 39; I played a lot better than and the score & # 39;

Europe Ryder Cup captain Harrington, who took his first event since February played, looked thoroughly deflated after acknowledging that his total was "going to be one too many," even though he tried to "take in positives" from his short week.

"I didn't take my chances early and then got some whirlwind and didn't chip very well, so I played much better than the score, but these things happen," said the 49- year old after his seven-bogey round.

While play was discontinued, James Sugrue, who won the UK amateur title last year, was the leading Irishman at level-par after 16, after falling from his overnight position of three under , while fellow Irish amateur international Mark Power was also sure to make it to the weekend after a 71 left him at five over.

Former European Tour winner Damien McGrane and Clandeboye man Jonathan Caldwell w They were both in position to play the last two rounds as they hit two after 13 and 10 holes respectively. stood over.

Colm Moriarty & # 39; s weekend delivery was safe when a combatant 69 left him out of four, but Irish casualties included Paul Dunne (74 for nine left), amateur Tom McKibbin (78 for 11 and over)) and Cormac Sharvin (74 for 17 years).