Graeme McDowell posted a second straight 66 to continue boosting hopes of capturing a second Italian Open crown and 14-years after a first Italia prima vittoria.
McDowell grabbed five birdies in a brilliant bogey-free display to move to 10-under par and just a stroke behind Germany’s Martin Kaymer.
The double Major winning Kaymer tore-up the rain-softened Gardagolf course with a blistering eight-under par 63 and move a shot clear of the field on 11-under par.
McDowell had been out in the morning to grab the clubhouse lead before ending the day among five sharing second and including former Masters winner Danny Willett (67), Belgium’s Thomas Pieters (670, Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello (67) and double Italian Open winner and overwhelming crowd favourite Francesco Molinari (66).
Surprisingly, McDowell confessed after his round that it was not as good as it looked.
“Today I didn’t play well,” he said.
“I was getting the ball around with some really good iron play and some good scrambling and feeling good on the greens.
“But in saying that and to be in this position after two round having not played well is pleasing.
“I know with a little bit of improvement and some rest I can compete this weekend”.
Indeed, it will be a first occasion the current World No. 195 has put himself in contention for victory since successfully defending the 2015 French Open.
G Mac capped his first round with an eagle and three birdies over his closing seven holes while he highlighted day two with three birdies in four holes from his fourth to seventh holes on glorious Gardagolf course.
And there was a long overdue pump fist from McDowell when he birdied the final hole of his round.
In fact, McDowell is now 10-under for his last 25 holes having been at level through his opening 11 holes on Thursday.
You also have to go back to the 2015 Scottish Open when McDowell was last so low after two opening round days on the European Tour and that was also in recording a pair of 66s.
Padraig Harrington followed McDowell down ‘Route 66’ also with a bogey-free effort to move to five-under par and officially his first four-rounder on this year’s European Tour after missing the cut in last week’s BMW PGA.
Harrington had missed the Italian Open cut three years ago when last in Italy but no such concern this year and capping his round with three birdies in his opening five holes.
And effort made amends as Harrington had doubled his closing hole a day earlier in shooting a 71.
Paul Dunne made it three Irish from three into the last two days with a second straight 69 for a four-under par tally.
Unlike Thursday’s effort of seven birdies and five bogeys, Dunne’s second round was a mix of four birdies and two less bogeys.
In Dublin, Ohio Rory McIlroy was staring at an anxious Memorial afternoon wait having posted a second round 70 to be sharing 60th place and right on the then cut mark of level par.
McIlroy, who went into day two of the $US 7.2m event at two-over par was three-under par for his second round after five holes and then four-under through 13.
But bogeys at 14 and 16 took much off the gloss from his effort and leaving him trailing eight shots behind four players including former Muirfield Village winner Hideki Matsuyama (71) and locally based Aussie Jason Day (68).
And for a second day running McIlroy, and flanked by security staff, declined to speak to waiting media in making a bee-line straight for the clubhouse.
