Shubhankar ties course record in Irish Open, enters top 15

ROYAL COUNTRY DOWN: Shubhankar Sharma sizzled in the second round of the Irish Open, making a stupendous 10-shot improvement on his first-round card to rise to top 15 at the halfway stage of the event.

Sharma’s 6-under 65 in the second round tied the course record and he made the cut comfortably after being in trouble at the end of the first round.

Sharma, facing the prospect of an early exit after a 4-over 75 in the first round at the Royal County Down course, opened with three birdies in a row and kept his foot on the pedal for a 6-under 65 that saw him rise to 2-under for 36 holes at the par-71 course.

Sharma, whose first round began from the 10th saw him bring home a disappointing 75 despite an eagle and two birdies.

Beginning from the 10th, he bogeyed the 14th and the 16th, but birdied 17th and 18th.

On the second nine, he eagled the first but bogeyed the third, fifth and seventh and double bogeyed the fourth.

In the second round, Sharma birdied 1-2-3 and added two more on the fifth and the eighth, but his bogeys on the fourth and sixth saw him turn in 3-under 32.

On the second nine, he birdied 11-12 and against 17-18 for the second day running. In between he dropped a shot on the 15th.

Matteo Manassero claimed the halfway lead, reaching six under par after a brilliant second-round 66.

English pair Laurie Canter and Todd Clements are one shot further back, with four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy, Spain's Alejandro Del Rey and Scotland's Ewen Ferguson at four under par.

With Canter and Clements setting a testing clubhouse target, Manassero made a perfect start as he eagled the first after a brilliant second from 226 yards to seven feet.

Overall Manassero had two eagles, three birdies and two bogeys.

The 31-year-old Italian completed a remarkable return to the upper echelons of the game by winning the Jonsson Workwear Open in March – almost 11 years after becoming the youngest winner of the BMW PGA Championship at 20 having been the first player to capture three DP World Tour titles as a teenager.

The highlight of McIlroy’s round was an eight-iron to 15 feet to set up an eagle on the par-five first, his 10th hole of the day, but the World Number Three – who grew up in nearby Hollywood - covered his remaining eight holes in one over to join the group at four under par.