Italian Open: Matthew Fitzpatrick one ahead as Shane Lowry misses cut

Fitzpatrick gets a close-up view of a putt in round two at the Olgiata Club

Englishman Matthew Fitzpatrick took a one-stroke lead at the halfway stage of the Italian Open at the Olgiata Club.

The 25-year-old world number 31 from Sheffield won the last of his five European titles in September last year.

After opening with a four under 67 in Rome, he carded seven birdies in a 65 to reach 10 under for the event.

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell lies three shots off the lead in third after moving to seven under with a second-round 66.

World number five Justin Rose is three shots back, while home favourite Francesco Molinari and Open champion Shane Lowry missed the cut.

Fitzpatrick, sixth in the Race to Dubai standings, has won at least once a season on the European Tour since his maiden title in 2015, but has had to settle for three runners-up finishes so far this year, losing a play-off to Andrea Pavan at the BMW Championship in Munich in June.

Rose, 31st in the European Tour's money list - which concludes in Dubai on 24 November - began from the 10th and was nine under with two to play, only to make a double bogey and then only par the closing par five.

The cut came at level par, one too many for a group including Lowry, European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington and Ian Poulter.

Former Open champion Molinari, the world number 11 who won the Italian title in 2006 and 2016, had a double bogey and six other dropped shots in a 76 to finish on five over, alongside European Open winner Paul Casey, who suffered a triple bogey eight at the ninth.

Englishman Tyrrell Hatton is in a share of 18th at five under and he overcame a disturbance on his backswing at the 11th, which turned out to be his fiancee closing the door at a portable toilet.

Hatton later quipped on Twitter with the hashtags #weddingsoff and #toiletgate.

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