Irish Open Day Two: Matteo Manassero blazes into lead at Royal County Down

It has been a difficult afternoon for Padraig Harrington who endured a very difficult front nine which started with a birdie, but four bogeys on the fourth, sixth, seventh, and eight has left the 53-year-old reeling and likely outside the cut. He is now onto the back nine with pars on the tenth and eleventh holes, with a birdie on twelve respectively. 

Gary Hurley is on par for the day thru 11 but three over in the leaderboard. He started the back nine with a bogey, followed by a birdie on the twelfth and bogey on the seventeenth. A second birdie of the day to start the front nine will give him confidence. 

Seamus Power is having a good second day at two under thru 12, but sits on one over in total. Four birdies, with the most recent coming on the par-five twelfth has been critical to his good form. The only blot on his scorecard being that nasty double bogey on the par-four eighth. 

Elsewhere, Simon Thornton is  one over and amateur Max Kennedy is two over in total. The former is one under for the second round, with the latter one over for his day two.