Irish watch

GRAEME McDOWELL: Five under (69, 70, 68, 68) Repeated his flying start of Saturday with birdies this time at the first and fifth before a lovely wedge from 124 yards at the seventh left him just a four footer for another birdie to bring him to six under for the tournament.

But the wheels came off at the ninth where, after finding a bad lie in the rough off the tee, he could only hack out into a fairway bunker and eventually three-putted for a double bogey six. Got up and down from the greenside bunker at the par five 10th to immediately get one shot back.

PAUL McGINLEY Three over (73, 65, 72, 73)

Made the worst possible start with bogeys at the first two holes and, despite getting one back at the fourth, dropped another at the sixth. Steadied the ship with a run of pars but then bogeyed the par three 17th after a poor chip came up short.

PADRAIG HARRINGTON 19 over (74, 72, 80, 73)

After his disastrous 80 on Saturday, things did not get any better with a double bogey, two bogeys and a birdie in his opening six holes. Playing the back nine first he then found the greenside bunker at the par three 17th for another dropped shot before missing from four feet for another bogey at the first. A rare ray of light came at the par four second where he holed from 25 feet for birdie and he followed that on the next by holing from 18 feet to get back to three over for the round. Continued to show his fighting spirit as he holed from 18 feet at the fifth only to give the shot back at the next.