Saturday 21 May 2016 18:46, UK
Marc Warren fired a six-under 66 to move into a share of the lead with Danny Willett at the Irish Open, where tournament host Rory McIlroy lies one shot back.
The Scot birdied three of his final four holes at the K Club to join the Masters champion Willett at the top of the leaderboard, as McIlroy picked up a shot at the last to stay well-placed heading in to the weekend.
Beginning on the back nine with a two-shot lead, Willett, playing in the group behind McIlroy, briefly extended his overnight advantage with an opening-hole birdie as the Northern Irishman failed to get up and down from a bunker.
McIlroy made amends with a tap-in gain at the 13th as the Masters champion bogeyed the same hole, before Willett recovered from a misjudged chip and blemish at the 15th to post an eight-foot gain at the par-five next.
A duffed chip onto the front of the 17th green from McIlroy restored Willett's two-shot cushion, only for the world No 3 to post a two-putt gain at the next and roll in a 30-footer at the first.
Shortly after McIlroy missed the green and bogeyed the third, Willett three-putted the second to lift Warren within two of the lead.
The two top seeds briefly sat joint-top of the leaderboard when McIlroy took advantage of the par-five fourth, only to lose ground by dropping a shot at the next as Willett rolled in successive gains.
Warren responded to his only blemish of the day at the fifth to post a birdie-three at the next before closing the gap at the top with a chip-in gain at the eighth.
Another gain at the ninth saw Warren set the clubhouse lead at eight under, which Willett slipped back to after a poor chip at the seventh on his way to a one-under 71.
McIlroy rolled in a 20-foot gain at the last to head in to the weekend one off the lead, with South African pair Jaco Van Zyl and Richard Sterne a further three strokes back.
Matthew Southgate threatened the top of the leaderboard late in the day when a first-nine 33 was followed by back-to-back gains from the third to lift him alongside McIlroy one off the pace.
Southgate made a first blemish of the day when his par-save at the fifth brushed the right edge but stayed out, before dropping another at the last when his close-range putt lipped-out.
A final-hole eagle from Eddie Pepperell lifted the Englishman in the large group on three under, while defending champion Soren Kjeldsen sits seven strokes back after a two-over 74.
Former champion Shane Lowry faces an early start on Saturday after a three-over 75, while Andy Sullivan, Matt Fitzpatrick and Padraig Harrington all missed the cut.
Watch the Irish Open throughout the weekend live on Sky Sports 4 - your home of golf. Coverage on Saturday begins at 1pm.
