SPAIN'S Pablo Larrazabal made a flying start to the third round of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open on Saturday to surge into contention at The K Club.
Larrazabal made the halfway cut with two shots to spare on level par, eight shots off the halfway lead shared by Masters champion Danny Willett and Scotland's Marc Warren.
But it took the 33-year-old just six holes to cut that deficit in half as he made the most of good conditions for the first time having been on the "wrong" side of the draw on the first two days.
A birdie on the first was followed by an eagle on the par-five fourth and the four-time European Tour winner then birdied the sixth to move into a share of fifth place on four under par.
Portrush man Graeme McDowell was just a shot behind after carding birdies at the first and third, the former US Open champion looking to improve on a poor record of just one top-10 finish in 14 appearances in the Irish Open.
Willett and Warren were in the last group out at 1.20pm, with tournament host Rory McIlroy in the penultimate group alongside England's Matthew Southgate.
McIlroy had missed the cut in his home event for the last three years, but the world number three added a second round of 70 to his opening 67 to head into the third round just a shot off the lead.
