World No. 6 Rory McIlroy is just two shots off the pace late in the second round of the Kolon Korean Open in Seoul.

McIlroy, who was runner-up in the event two years ago, shot a second round 69 despite taking a bogey at his final hole.

Korean Hong Soon-sang enjoys the clubhouse lead after a bogey-free three-under-par 68 on Friday to snatch a one-stroke clubhouse lead over countrymen Kim Hyung-tae (66) and Hwang In-choon (68) midway through the second round of OneAsia’s Kolon Korea Open.

With scoring difficult around the testing 6,582-metre (7,198-yard) Woo Jeong Hills Country Club course near Cheonan, south of the capital, the cut looks likely to be set at around plus six.

Hong, a five-time winner on Korea’s domestic tour including this year at the SolaSeaDo Pine Beach Open, said he had to scramble to keep his scorecard clean

“I was very pleased to go around without a bogey but I think I had a bit of luck,” he said. “Some of the pins were really hard, but I managed to get it close or make up-and-down.

“The real game starts from tomorrow. It’s the tournament that everyone wants to win so it’s important for me to manage myself.”

McIlroy had a topsy-turvy opening nine with two birdies and a bogey in his first four holes before dropping three in-a-row from 14 to 16. That seemed to galvanise the two-time Major winner — playing his first tournament since taking a month break from the game — and he scored five birdies in the next 10 holes.

“I’m driving the ball very well and for the most part my iron play is pretty good,” he said.

“But I definitely missed a few opportunities out there. I definitely could have been a few shots better, but I’m in a good position going into the weekend and that’s all you can ask for.”

Without a win since changing his club manufacturer at the begining of the year McIlroy is at the start of a month-long Asia-Pacific swing that will also see him tee it up in OneAsia’s Emirates Australian Open next month.

“I don’t need to go out there and be overly aggressive, but I just want to get myself into a good position for Sunday if possible,” he said.

Hwang credited a couple of rounds with K.J. Choi last week for his improved showing.

“I played two (final) rounds with K.J. Choi at the CJ Invitational and that gave me a lot of confidence. K.J. and I had a chat about a few things and that was great,” he said.

Overnight leader Jang Ik-jae, a Japan Tour stalwart who is only playing because his manager forgot to enter him in this week’s  Japan Open followed Thursday’s 67 with a 72 and remains well placed.

On a scoreboard dominated by foreigners, Q-School graduates Ryan Yip from Canada, and Eric Mina of the U.S. are one over.