ROCK AND UIHLEIN SHARE HALFWAY LEAD IN IRISH OPEN

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Robert Rock is relishing the opportunity of avenging his 2009 Irish Open play-off defeat, with the Englishman sharing the halfway lead with American Peter Uihlein at Carton House, two shots ahead of his conqueror of four years ago, Shane Lowry.

Rock was involved in one of the most dramatic finishes in Irish 

Open history at Co Louth Golf Club, but he lost out in a play-off to 

home favourite Lowry, then a 22 year old amateur.

While it was not to be for the 36 year old Belfry player that day, he 

has since gone on to greater things, winning the Italian Open in 

2011 before a stunning victory at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf 

Championship after emerging on top from a final day battle with 

Tiger Woods.

Rock admitted that his duel with Lowry was almost on a par with 

that lucrative victory in the Middle East, and he cannot wait to 

sample the atmosphere of the huge Irish crowds once again, this 

time at the pristine Carton House Golf Club.

“I'll never forget that day, playing with Shane,” said Rock, who 

signed for a six under par second round 66 at Carton House for a 

nine under par total.

“That was really tough. That was almost harder than Abu Dhabi, 

because I did feel like I had some people on my side in there! They 

were both comparable, although they were different pressures.

“I started great really today,” he continued. “I've been putting a 

little bit better lately so to start the day with a five‑foot putt for a 

birdie was nice, and I drove it well for the rest of the round. Overall 

it was a steady day, no bogeys and a tidy short game to keep it 

going. I was never really out of play apart from the 18th tee shot 

when I hit it in the bunker.”

Uihlein, meanwhile, continued his magnificent form carding a four 

under par 68 to move to the front four weeks after his maiden European Tour victory, a result which was followed by a tied 12^th 

finish at the BMW PGA Championship, a top 25 at the Nordea 

Masters and a top ten at last week’s BMW International 

Championship.

“I've been playing well the last couple of days and executing really 

well from the rough,” said the 23 year old. “You’re going to miss 

some fairways out here with the wind blowing so you have to hope 

for some good lies and then hole a few good putts and I did that.”

Lowry, who is Carton House’s Touring Professional, added a two 

under par 70 to his opening round 67 to stay within two shots of 

the summit on seven under par, alongside Sweden’s Oscar Floren 

(71), Joost Luiten (70) of The Netherlands, Spaniard José María 

Olazábal (63) and Ricardo Santos (66) of Portugal.

On a day when the wind caused some difficulty at the Country 

Kildare venue, the cut fell at level par meaning that the four home 

Major winners Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, Graeme 

McDowell and Rory McIlroy all missed the cut.

SECOND ROUND TOTALS

  Par 144 (2x72)

135 P Uihlein  (USA) 67 68, R Rock (Eng) 69 66

137 S Lowry  (Irl) 67 70, R Santos  (Por) 71 66, O Floren  (Swe) 66 71, J Luiten (Ned) 67 70, J Olazábal (Esp) 68 69

138 S Henry  (Sco) 74 64, R Jacquelin (Fra) 69 69, P Larrazábal (Esp) 69 69

139 P Whiteford (Sco) 71 68, R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 69 70, D Gaunt (Aus) 71 68, T Björn (Den) 68 71, A Hansen (Den) 69 70,

140 J Donaldson (Wal) 69 71, A Cañizares  (Esp) 71 69, F Molinari (Ita) 73 67, A Quiros  (Esp) 72 68, E Pepperell (Eng) 71 69, A Kaleka  (Fra) 72 68, P Casey  (Eng) 68 72, E Grillo (Arg) 73 67, J Campillo (Esp) 72 68

141 O Fisher  (Eng) 71 70, P Lawrie (Sco) 71 70, D Willett  (Eng) 73 68, J Walters (RSA) 72 69, G Shaw (Nir) 73 68, J Lara (Esp) 71 70, S Dodd (Wal) 71 70, C Paisley  (Eng) 69 72, S Kjeldsen (Den) 71 70, F Andersson Hed (Swe) 70 71,

142 A Snobeck  (Fra) 71 71, R Finch  (Eng) 71 71, S Gallacher (Sco) 72 70, A Dunbar (Nir) 70 72, S Thornton (Irl) 69 73, A Hartø  (Den) 70 72, A Dodt (Aus) 68 74, D Mooney (Nir) 74 68, J Gonnet  (Fra) 67 75, G Storm  (Eng) 69 73, D Howell (Eng) 70 72,

143 L Jensen (Den) 72 71, J Morrison  (Eng) 73 70, R Fisher (Eng) 73 70, C Lloyd (Eng) 72 71, P Lawrie (Irl) 72 71, S Little (Eng) 71 72, M Hoey  (Nir) 67 76, D Drysdale (Sco) 72 71, M Ilonen  (Fin) 70 73, R Sterne  (RSA) 73 70, P Sjöland (Swe) 73 70, R Bland (Eng) 71 72, M Kieffer (Ger) 70 73, B Rumford (Aus) 72 71,

144 S Power  (Irl) 69 75, M Warren (Sco) 69 75, A Sullivan (Eng) 72 72, E De La Riva  (Esp) 73 71, S Benson (Eng) 73 71, R Wattel  (Fra) 74 70, C Del Moral (Esp) 72 72, C Macaulay  (Sco) 73 71, R Derksen (Ned) 73 71, G Mulroy (RSA) 69 75, G Havret  (Fra) 74 70, M Baldwin (Eng) 71 73, H Wen-Yi (Chn) 77 67,

 

MISSED THE CUT

 

145 L Gagli  (Ita) 72 73, M Lundberg (Swe) 68 77, E Kofstad (Nor) 71 74, T Levet (Fra) 71 74, D Fichardt (RSA) 72 73, A Tadini (Ita) 72 73, J Kruger (RSA) 74 71, G Maybin (Nir) 71 74, J Lagergren (Swe) 71 74, J Sjöholm (Swe) 77 68, S Hansen (Den) 71 74, D Brooks (Eng) 74 71, J Hansen  (Den) 75 70, A Levy (Fra) 74 71, J Parry (Eng) 72 73, P Harrington (Irl) 71 74, G McDowell  (Nir) 71 74, F Zanotti (Par) 73 72, G Stal  (Fra) 72 73, B Åkesson (Swe) 70 75, N Fasth (Swe) 71 74, G Moynihan (am) (Irl) 73 72, K Phelan (am) (Irl) 72 73,

146 S Arnold  (Aus) 75 71, R McIlroy  (Nir) 74 72, T Fleetwood  (Eng) 73 73, R Coles (Eng) 74 72, M Lafeber (Ned) 73 73, C McNamara (Irl) 68 78, P McGinley (Irl) 70 76, B Stone (RSA) 75 71, E Goya (Arg) 69 77,

147 M Murphy  (Irl) 74 73, V Dubuisson  (Fra) 74 73, S Dyson  (Eng) 75 72, S Jamieson  (Sco) 76 71, M Lampert (Ger) 72 75, J Edfors (Swe) 74 73, M Delpodio  (Ita) 75 72, H Otto (RSA) 77 70, R Green (Aus) 74 73, R Pugh (am) (Wal) 73 74,

148 F Aguilar (Chi) 72 76, P Hedblom (Swe) 73 75, R Gonzalez (Arg) 73 75, L Slattery (Eng) 73 75, S Chowrasia (Ind) 75 73, R Davies (Wal) 73 75, S Khan (Eng) 76 72, J Singh (Ind) 75 73, R Whitson (am) (Nir) 76 72,

149 J Van Zyl (RSA) 74 75, T Lewis (Eng) 74 75, I Garrido (Esp) 71 78, M Nixon (Eng) 75 74, M Foster (Eng) 72 77, S Webster (Eng) 73 76, D Van Der Walt (RSA) 77 72,

150 M Jonzon (Swe) 75 75, M Southgate  (Eng) 77 73, D Clarke (Nir) 75 75, M Staunton (Irl) 74 76, M Tullo (Chi) 78 72, M Wiegele  (Aut) 78 72, M Campbell (Nzl) 75 75, B McGovern (Irl) 72 78, K Broberg (Swe) 74 76,

151 P Price (Wal) 75 76, G Lockerbie  (Eng) 77 74, R McEvoy  (Eng) 78 73, S Wakefield (Eng) 75 76, C Cévaër (Fra) 79 72,

152 M Carlsson  (Swe) 74 78,

153 D McGrane (Irl) 75 78, B Trainor  (Irl) 79 74,

154 J Kelly (Irl) 81 73, K Horne (RSA) 78 76, T McCumber (USA) 77 77,

156 D Higgins (Irl) 77 79,

157 D Ryan (Irl) 79 78,

158 D Gleeson (Irl) 82 76,

163 C Lee (Sco) 78 85,

** P Waring  (Eng) 73 RT, C Doak (Sco) 76 WD,

 

 

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