“It’s been a strange year but I’ve holed out a lot from outside 100 yards, so there’s another one to add to the collection,” Lowry said.
The Offaly man followed bogeys at the fifth and sixth with birdies at the seventh and 14th to sit on level par before he made that two at the 440-yard eighth to revive his interest in Memphis.
“I said to my caddie walking down to the green, hopefully that will get us going into the weekend.
“We’re only nine back of the leaders. Obviously, the course is playing tough, but there are a lot of chances out there. Hopefully I can get it going now on the weekend.”
McIlroy struggled with his game and fell 11 strokes behind leaders McCarthy, who shot 63, and Hideki Matsuyama, who added a 65 to his opening 64.
The Co Down man was three over for the par fives at TPC Southwind and carded a three-over 73 to slip to tied 58th in the 70-man field on one-over.
The world number three made a double bogey seven after finding water with is second at the third and while he birdied the fifth and sixth, he bogeyed the next two holes before dropping another shot at the par-five 16th, where he hit the edge of a cart path and a tree with his attempted escape from the trees.
He’s projected to fall from third to fifth in the FedExCup as the field jostles to make the top 50 in the standings and progress to the second Playoff event, the BMW Championship, in Denver next week.
Lowry is projected to fall from 10th to 11th despite carding a two-under 68, while Power is projected to move up one place to 65th, which would not be enough to make it to Denver next week.
McCarthy and Matsuyama lead by a shot from US Ryder Cup star Sam Burns, with FedExCup leader Scottie Scheffler lurking just two shots off the lead on nine-under after a 69.
Unlike Scheffler, who finds it “silly” that the FedExCup is called a season-long race when the top-ranked player will get just a two-shot lead at the Tour Championship, eighth-ranked Matsuyama is not complaining.
“I like the system, especially where I am at,” he said. “I don’t know if unfair is the right word, but Scottie deserves to be much further ahead than just two strokes there at the Tour Championship. With that in mind, it’s tough for him, I think. But for me, I’m enjoying it.”
On the DP World Tour, Tom McKibbin missed just his third cut this season in the D+D REAL Czech Masters in Prague.
The Holywood star (21) carded a four-under 68 left him a shot outside the cut mark on three-under a Gary Hurley exited on one-over after a 71.
France’s David Ravetto fired a course record-equalling nine-under 63 to lead by a shot on 13-under-par from England’s Andrew Johnston, Scotland’s Richie Ramsay and Swede Jesper Svensson.
Conditions were testing in the second round of the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open at Dundonald Links., where Leona Maguire was tied 53rd, 12 strokes behind clubhouse leaders Minjee Lee and Megan Kang on four-over after she made a bogey and a double bogey in a three-over 75.
Lee shot a sensational 69 and Kang a 68 in high winds to lead by two strokes on eight-under from Lauren Coughlin, Charley Hull and Olympic champion Lydia Ko.
Lauren Walsh shot a battling 72 but missed the cut by a shot on five-over while Stephanie Meadow missed out on 12-over after an 80.
On the Challenge Tour, first-round leader Mark Power (24) heads into the weekend three shots behind Spain’s Angel Ayora in the Vierumäki Finnish Challenge.
The Kilkenny man (24) made three birdies and two bogeys in a one-under 71 to share seventh place on nine-under.
Ayora (19) posted a brilliant eight under 64 to lead by two shots on 12-under, while Naas’ Conor O’Rourke was just four shots off the pace in 12th on eight-under after making an eagle and six birdies in a 66
Daniel Mulligan (19) also had a great day, dropping just one shot in a seven-birdie 66 to jump into a tie for 22nd on seven-under.