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RORY MCILROY IS firmly in contention after he has reached the halfway mark in the Irish Open, one off the clubhouse leaders Laurie Canter and Todd Clements at Royal County Down.
McIlroy’s one-under round of 70 today sees him on four-under just behind the English pair. He began his round on the 10th and was level par for his front nine with a bogey on 14 and a birdie on 15. An eagle on the par-five first launched him into contention as he moved to five-under, before dropping a shot on the fifth and watching a series of birdie attempts just drop short.
Rory McIlroy finishes his round with a brilliantly read monster putt that, again, is inches away from dropping. He signs for a round of 70 and is one shot off the lead. pic.twitter.com/bB9m8b9Yy5
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 13, 2024
Shane Lowry dropped a shot on his last hole but still recorded a two-under-par 69 today in his second round. The Offaly native is on one-under overall and is four off the target set by Canter and Clements.
Lowry began with a birdie on the 12th, bogeyed the 16th, before generating serious momentum with three birdies in succession on the 18th, 1st and 2nd holes. His par attempt at the last missed out and he had to be content with a round of 69.
Shane Lowry was relatively pleased with his second round at the Irish Open but admits that he has to get closer to the flag with his approach shots if he's to have a chance of winning this weekend.
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 13, 2024
📺 Watch LIVE on RTÉ2 & the RTÉplayer#RTEgolf #IrishOpen pic.twitter.com/DumIuADHjf
McIlroy is joined on four-under by Spaniard Alejandro Del Rey, who set a blistering pace to be clear of the field for long stages this morning before recording a disastrous quadruple bogey on the par-four 15th that brought him back to the pack.
Del Rey looked the one to catch after he followed up on yesterday’s round of 67, with an eagle on the first. He recorded birdies on 5 and 7, and while he dropped a shot on the ninth, he grabbed another birdie on the 12th to stand on eight-under at one stage, before the 15th changed the course of his round.
Daniel Brown, currently early into this second round, is also on the four-under mark.
The cut is projected to be one-over with Tom McKibbin finishing his round just on that mark. McKibbin was two-under for this round today to see him move up to the cut line, while amateur Seán Keeling is two-over today and is one-over for the tournament.
Conor Purcell’s round of 75 today leaves him at +5 overall and set to miss the weekend, as will Mark Power after his round of 77 saw him drop to +1o.
Seamus Power and Padraig Harrington are part of the players in action this afternoon.
More to follow…
Written by Fintan O’Toole and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.
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“first time mum Zuri and experienced dad Kumar.”
Player
The mane thing is you explained the joke
That fact gives me pride. But I did paws briefly before explaining it.
Dang can’t think of any more. I’ll have to draw the lion here so…
Cub your enthusiasm!
So you’re feline proud Paul.
He is the King of the Journal ,after all !
Cuteness overload
Beautiful creatures . majestic
I’m sick to my teeth of hearing “I don’t agree with zoo’s, no animal should be caged”… In imagination land that’s a brilliant idea, all animals roaming free etc. Reality check, If it wasn’t for these “prisons” a lot of these animals would now be extinct. Case in point, Longleat in England started a conservation in the 1960′s with Africa for the rhino, can’t remember whether its the white or black one. Anyways, since they started the breeding and re-population programme, its now come off the endangered list. All because idiots think no 1 its some kinda of magic Viagra, and 2, a “lovely ornament”… So I’m a firm believer in zoo’s, well until we can sterilize these idiots so they can’t reproduce.
Well said babs
Babs, you’re talking out of your arse!
So cute. While I don’t like the idea of keeping wild animals in zoos, for reasons of safe keeping until we can stop poachers and hunters this is what we can provide. I am not saying all zoos are good. But some do their best.
Beautiful animal, would be even more so in it’s own habitat.
Without reverting to name calling and with all due respet to Dublin Zoo, the bottom line is that Zoos are an entertainment business, their financial product is the animals the house and the revenue those animals produce. Baby animals generate huge footfall resulting in huge revenue for zoos.
Animals retained in zoos are denied everything that makes their lives meaningful. Every part of their lives is controlled and manipulated. They have no choice in what or when they eat, whom they mate with, or whom they live with. They are housed in structures that are not even close to the rainforests, plains, and jungles that are their indigenous habitats.
Instead of providing lifetime care, zoos routinely trade, lend (i.e. chinese pandas are all on loan), sell, barter, and distribute animals they no longer want—despite knowing that many species form lasting bonds that are important to their long-term health and happiness. Removing animals from bonded social groups and forcing them to adjust constantly to new routines, different caretakers, and unfamiliar cagemates is disruptive and traumatic. Most animals go mad in captivity.
Zoos have ingeniously managed to tag the world “conservation” on to their product to gloss over the reality of their existence. Zoos do not save animals from extinction, they only breed them to replenish their stock. Another argument as to why a lot of animals cannot be reintroduced back into their natural habitat is because they no longer have a natural habitat due to world over-population which is increasing. So I agree with you on the sterization suggestion but as well as me, it should really include a few more humans in that.
I don’t mean to be ‘preachy’ but there is another side to zoos and I am entitled to my own opinion.
Please watch “Earthlings”, “Blackfish” and “The Ghosts in Our Machine”. It might be of further help to you.
As a fellow sentient being, the same as the fellow sentient beings held in zoos, ask youself this question, “Would I like to live my whole life like that?”.
On the ball
I don’t agree with Zoos.
Thankfully zoos can’t talk so it’s a one sided argument.
I didn’t know India had lions… I thought they were only found in Africa. Learnt something new today!
Should name the cub Gismo
have your say