Sport

Irish duo hot on heels of Raphael

FRANCE'S Raphael Jacquelin claimed the halfway lead in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship yesterday as the luck of the draw had a major impact.

Jacquelin carded a second round of 70 in the pro-am event to finish nine-under par, one shot ahead of Irish duo Shane Lowry and Padraig Harrington, England's Oliver Wilson and France's Alexander Levy.

Eleven of the top 12 scores came from players who were at Kingsbarns yesterday and Carnoustie on Thursday, when calm conditions meant traditionally the hardest of the three venues played relatively easy.

Wind and rain made scoring more difficult yesterday but Jacquelin birdied his final two holes to move into pole position for a fifth European Tour title.

"I'm pretty happy, especially the way I finished," said Jacquelin, whose last win came in a record-equalling nine-hole play-off in the Spanish Open last year. "I birdied 17 and 18 so it was good before having dinner and going to rest.

"I've been working hard every year since the last 20 years to be at this position. I feel good. It's a long weekend. It's a lot of golf to play, so you know, the game of golf, it's not that easy. You just have to stick to the same plan and see what happens."

Lowry, who finished joint third in this event 12 months ago, was the only player in the top 12 to play at St Andrews yesterday, meaning he will face Carnoustie today before the final round is again played over the Old Course.

"To be honest, the way I played to shoot two-under was quite good," said Lowry after a round containing four bogeys and six birdies.

Scottish duo Richie Ramsay and Chris Doak are two shots off the pace on seven-under, with compatriot Stephen Gallacher another shot back and Gallacher's Ryder Cup team-mate Rory McIlroy five off the lead on four-under.

McIlroy, who is keen to make the cut in the team event so his amateur partner, his father Gerry, can play at St Andrews on his 55th birthday tomorrow, started the day nine shots off the pace and dropped back to two over par with a bogey on the 14th.

However, the world number one responded in style with a superb fairway-wood approach to the par five 16th and rolled in the eagle putt from 15 feet on his way to a round of 67 at Kingsbarns.