Pre-Omega Mission Hills World Cup favourite, Ireland muscled their way to a share of the lead in overcast conditions on day two of the event at Haikou, Hainan Island.

The U.S. Open winning duo of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell posted a four under par 68 to draw level on 13-under par with the Australian right-and-left hand combination of Richard Green and Brendan Jones who bogeyed the last in a 70 in the Fourball format.

Australia, looking to win the event for a first time in 22-years, were two shots clear heading to day two but had to battle hard in the more demanding Foursomes format.

Richard Green helps Brendan Jones line up a putt during the second round of the Omega Mission Hills World Cup.

“The important thing for us is that we are still at the top and everybody is chasing us,” said Jones.

“We can’t win the tournament today, but we sure could have fallen back in the field.

“So just to be in the position we’re in, we’ve got to take the positives out of that, and I think tomorrow we’ll get some rhythm back and play a more attacking game.

“It’s all about limiting your errors in this game, and I think we pretty much did that. A couple of times we slipped up, but that’s just the way it is.”

Green added: “We spoke about our strategy last night, and in foursomes especially we decided that anything under par is going to do all right. So a 70 today achieved that goal I guess.

“It was a little bit of a shame to finish with a bogey, but it’s a very difficult finish to this golf course and a very demanding hole, the 18th. Hopefully we can work that out for the weekend and not do that on Sunday.”

Ireland wasted little opportunity in ending the round very pleased with their position with the highlights being six birdies, the last of which came at the driveable 16th when McDowell splashed out of a bunker to two feet.

“I think both of us are very pleased about the score that we ended up shooting today,” said McIlroy.

“I think anything in the 60s in the foursomes format is a very reasonable score out there.

“There is still a lot of golf to be played this week, so it will be nice to get out there tomorrow again and enjoy the fourballs, and be aggressive and make a few more birdies. I think we are very pleased with how today went and we’re looking forward to the weekend.”

Ireland started the week as the bookies’ favourites, and 32 year old McDowell insists there is more to come over the weekend.

“Alternate shot is a very difficult format,” he said.

“We struggled to find our rhythm a little bit on the front nine. Rory really putted well today, which kept things together.

“I’ve struggled a little bit on the greens the last couple of days, but I was happy with the way I swung the club in general today again and Rory is playing lovely.

“We’re looking forward to getting back out there into better-balls tomorrow where we can both play a little bit more aggressively and get in our rhythm better. But we’re very, very happy with that performance today. Four under par in this format is a pretty good effort.”

Just five shots seperate the top-18 teams, with Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher and Martin Laird in third on 12 under par.

However Scotland were left ruiing a final hole bogey from just five feet in a 70 that would have tied them with Ireland and Australia.

Spain, New Zealand and the United States share fourth spot at 10-under par with Alvaro Quiros and Miguel Angel Jiménez combining for a bogey-free 69 which included an eagle at the 16th after big-hitting Quiros drove to within 20 feet.

England, The Netherlands and surprise package Mexico are nine under, with hosts China among a group of nine teams one further back.