Harrington and McIlroy keep Houston hopes alive

Houston Open:Pádraig Harrington and Rory McIlroy will go into the final two rounds of the Shell Houston Open with high hopes after contrasting second rounds in the weather-delayed event today

Harrington didn’t hit a ball yesterday after completing his first round in level par on Thursday before play was cancelled due to high winds.

The delay had little affect on the Dubliner as he rattled off a hat-trick of birdies in his opening three holes, before adding another at the short ninth to move to four under.

He would drop his only shot on the 11th before securing birdies on both the par fives on the closing stretch to card a five under 67. That left him on five-under after 36 holes, three shots off the leading group.

McIlroy was a further shot behind Harrington on four under after he signed for a one-over 73 in his second round. The Holywood teenager had to come back this morning to play seven holes, bogeying the par-five fourth, his 13th, before clawing the shot back with a birdie on the short seventh.

He endured a frustrating end to his morning’s work, when he took four on the par-three ninth to finish four behind the leaders.

Darren Clarke’s slim hopes of playing at next week’s Masters evaporated after he signed for a 77 that included two double-bogeys over his last seven holes. That left the Dungannon golfer on four over and well wide of the cut mark.

Five players share the lead after the second round, with England’s Paul Casey amongst them after he shot a two under 70. Accenture Match Play champion Geoff Ogilvy and fellow Australian John Senden are also on eight under, alongside Americans Tommy Armour III and Texan Colt Knost, who was part of the winning US Walker Cup team at Royal County Down in 2007.

LEADING 2ND ROUND SCORES
(Par 72, US unless stated)
136 (-8)P Casey (Eng) 66 70, G Ogilvy (Aus) 67 69, J Senden (Aus) 65 71, T Armour III 66 70, C Knost 66 70
137B Van Pelt 70 67, J Byrd 67 70, H Stenson (Swe) 70 67, S Piercy 66 71, F Couples 68 69
138B Baird 65 73, S Appleby (Aus) 70 68, S Verplank 68 70, DA Points 66 72, J Leonard 68 70, R Moore 70 68, J Nitties (Aus) 66 72
139V Taylor 67 72, R Garrigus 71 68, J Lyle (Aus) 71 68, L Westwood (Eng) 69 70, C Howell III 71 68, P Harrington (Irl) 72 67
140B Davis (Eng) 71 69, N Thompson 65 75, D Hart 68 72, K Sutherland 69 71, A kim 72 68, H Mahan 71 69, S Garcia (Sp) 69 71, T Purdy 71 69, J Bohn 69 71, R McIlroy (NI) 67 73, H Slocum 73 67, J Mallinger 75 65, JB Holmes 71 69, G Norman (Aus) 71 69.
Missed Cut: 148 D Clarke (NI) 71 77