Open win in 2019 will be 'beneficial' - leader Lowry

Round two leaderboard

-7 Lowry (Ire); -5 Brown (Eng), Rose (Eng); -2 Horschel (US), Burmester (SA), Scheffler (US)

Selected: -1 Schauffele (US), Cantlay (US); Level Jordan (Eng); +1 D Johnson (US), Koepka (US), Rahm (Spa); +3 McKibbin (NI); +5 MacIntyre (Sco); +6 Fitzpatrick

Missed cut: +9 DeChambeau (US) +11 McIlroy (NI); +14 Woods (US)

Full leaderboard

Shane Lowry says his experience of winning the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in 2019 will be "very beneficial" in his bid for a second title at Royal Troon after he moved two clear of the field at halfway.

In strengthening winds that reached 30mph, the Irishman carded an eventful two-under 69 that included five birdies, a bogey and a double bogey.

He leads on seven under from Justin Rose and Dan Brown, who are both aiming to become the first Englishman to win the Claret Jug since 1992.

After a two-under 34 on the front nine, Lowry's momentum stalled at the par-four 11th when he hooked his second shot into a gorse bush, leading to a double bogey.

But the 37-year-old steadied the ship with four straight pars and picked up shots at the 16th and 18th, sinking a 20-foot birdie putt on the last.

"I don't know what I'm going to reach in and grab in the memory bank but it will be very beneficial that I've done this before," Lowry told BBC Sport NI.

"There are a lot of guys on that leaderboard that will be gunning for me and gunning for other people. Everyone's going to be giving it their best. These are the best golfers in the world but I'm going to give it my best shot."

Rose 'still living the dream'

Lowry will be hunted by his Ryder Cup team-mate Rose and the unheralded Brown, with world number one Scottie Scheffler in a group at two under.

For Rose, who came through qualifying, he said he is "still living the dream" as he tries to add the Open to his 2013 US Open triumph.

"It’s why I’m still in the game and make the sacrifices I do - to give myself these opportunities," he added.

The 43-year-old put together a remarkable round in the worst of the conditions on Friday, his solitary bogey in his opening 36 holes coming on the 12th as he posted a 68.

Rose played in his first Open as a 17-year-old at Royal Birkdale in 1998, memorably finishing fourth with a chip-in eagle at the last as he won the Silver Medal as low amateur.

He is now playing his 22nd but says he and Brown, who is making his debut are "probably much more aligned than we are different".

"The mentality to do well is going to be to enjoy it, to be as free as you can with it, to give yourself the best opportunity to play well, to embrace the fun part of it and the childhood dream part of it," added Rose.

Brown insisted he was "capable" of continuing his challenge after following his opening 66, which gave him the first-round lead, with a solid 72.

"A lot of people probably didn’t know who I was coming into this week, but I feel good and at home on links golf," said the 29-year-old Yorkshireman who has been an English amateur champion and also came through qualifying.

"I’ve played a lot of links golf and I came back from Open qualifying, back on a links course and was comfortable straight away. That’s transcended into this week.

"There were a few people watching on Thursday and a good few more on Friday so I feel like I have warmed up to that kind of atmosphere with the crowds. I’m looking forward to it."

'Birdie on 18 was icing on the cake'

World number 33 Lowry missed the cut at Hoylake in 2023 and has not posted a top-10 at the Open since his memorable triumph on the Northern Irish coast five years ago.

But he has put himself in a strong position after two rounds at Troon having effectively navigated the elements which are in stark contrast to the benign conditions which allowed him to shoot 62 at Valhalla at the US PGA Championship in May.

Like at Portrush, where he finished six shots clear of Tommy Fleetwood, Lowry has drawn great support from the crowd, which he says has helped fuel his challenge.

"It does [feel like Portrush] but I'm trying not to think about it too much," added Lowry, whose last individual title came at the BMW PGA Championship in September 2022.

"There's an amazing Irish crowd out there and there's a lot of support. I'm being cheered on to every tee and green and I've enjoyed it.

"Walking down the last hole was as good as it gets, it's the greatest walk in golf and holing that birdie putt was the icing on the cake.

"If I can't enjoy these last two days, why am I playing the game?"

There will be live radio and text commentary of round three on the BBC Sport website from 14:00 BST