May18 harringtonflying
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Padraig Harrington must be fancying his chances of celebrating a weekend victory on home soil.
The Irish Ryder Cup star is looking good at the halfway stage to claim the Irish Open title at Adare Manor, following up his opening round 73 with a splendid 68 today.
Harrington is three-under-par and one shot clear of the trio of England’s Simon Wakefield, Argentinian Andres Romero and Joakim Backstrom, who is spearheading a strong Swedish challenge.
However, England’s Simon Dyson has it all to do now. After shooting a superb opening round 68 to set the pace, Dyson seriously came to grief today as he followed up with a miserable 78! Even so, he only dropped to tied 17th as the super-tough conditions took their toll.
* Justin Rose is hoping to take his place in next week’s prestigious BMW Championship at Wentworth.
Rose, recently sidelined by back trouble, remains optimistic of being fit for the European Tour’s flagship event after undergoing extensive treatment since returning to the UK from his Florida base.
Photo: By Getty Images
