Lowry leads Irish Open with course-record 62

Shane Lowry fired a course-record 62 to take a three-shot lead at the Irish Open on Friday, positioning himself for a first victory in four years amid persistent complaints about slow play. The 39-year-old Irishman reached 11-under par after his second round at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg, pulling clear of Denmark's Jacob Skov Olesen and China's Haotong Li. Lowry's round featured seven birdies and a single bogey, with a blistering front nine of 30. He told RTÉ Sport afterward that he was happy with the round and just kept going, adding that every time he made a birdie he went after another one. It's been a while since I've had that much fun on the golf course, so I'll take it, he said. The performance marked a significant turnaround for Lowry, who has struggled for form this season and slipped from 26th to 53rd in the world rankings. A victory this week would be his seventh DP World Tour title and would strengthen his bid for a spot on Europe's 2027 Ryder Cup team. He was a key figure in Europe's victory at Bethpage Black last September. Defending champion Rory McIlroy sits nine shots back at 2-under par after rounds of 69 and 69.