Danny Willett and Marc Warren one shot ahead of Rory McIlroy at Irish Open

By Ali Stafford

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.

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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.

Image: McIlroy has missed the cut in his last three appearances in this event

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.

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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.

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Image: Warren posted seven birdies during the morning conditions

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.

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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.

Masters champion Danny Willett is in a share of the lead after the opening two rounds of the Irish Open at the K Club

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.

Image: Lowry won the event as an amateur in 2009

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. 

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