Zander Lombard will take a one shot lead into the weekend at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open but he had a high class chasing pack behind him at the second Rolex Series event of the season.
Here is everything you need to know from day two at Lahinch Golf Club.
Lombard leaps into life
The South African arrived in County Clare having not made a cut since March and working hard on some recent changes to his game. He made four birdies in his last five holes on Thursday and brought that through to day two, carding a 67 to lead the way by one at nine under from Eddie Pepperell. "I'm so comfortable on links golf," he said. "It's never just a normal shot, it's always a little three quarter, a little punch, judging the wind right. I had a good amateur career on links golf and brought it over to my pro career as well."
Ancer loving Irish adventure
Abraham Ancer is playing his first event in Ireland and his first European Tour event outside of the Majors and the WGCs and he is absolutely loving it. As well as a potential Rolex Series victory, the Mexican is looking for a links tune up ahead of The Open Championship and he's certainly getting that at Lahinch. But that is not all Ireland has to offer. "I'm going to get to see Ireland a little more, so I'm going to go to Dublin and just hang out there, check it out, so it's going to be fun," he said. "I've been to some parts of Europe before but never Ireland and it's been phenomenal. The views out here, the golf course, everything, has been absolutely phenomenal and the people have been great, too."
Up the junction
Speaking of Ancer, he almost had an unfortunate incident due to one of the quirks of Lahinch, the criss-crossing fairways of the fourth, fifth and 18th. With two fairways going across one other, traffic can be a problem and it almost became a big problem for the World Number 89. He was unfazed, however, and put his third shot to tap-in range for a closing birdie.
That was well timed 😳#DDFIrishOpen #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/JwgXw0KjOy
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) July 5, 2019
Jorge stars again
Jorge Campillo has been one the stars of the 2019 season, winning his maiden European Tour event at the Trophée Hassan II to go with two seconds and two thirds to sit inside the top ten on the Race to Dubai Rankings Presented by Rolex. When he turned in level par after an opening 69, he may have feared missing the cut but the Spaniard needn't have worried. Birdies on the tenth, 12th, 13th 15th, 16th and last in the tougher early conditions saw him come home in 30 and sign for a 64 - the lowest round of the day. Jorge is in the mix again.
Links life
We saw some moments only links can create on day one and we had more on Friday. First, Russell Knox did this on the blind par three fifth.
You don't see that every day...
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) July 5, 2019
Knox's unusual tee shot on the blind par 3.#DDFIrishOpen #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/PV5zY9UCyS
And then Liam Johnston took the lead from some of the goats scattered around this layout.
"He's playing that while standing on a wall." 😲
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) July 5, 2019
Liam Johnston finds himself in an unusual spot.#DDFIrishOpen #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/4S3BuQ0rA6
There's nothing else like it.