Golf - Houston Open/West of Ireland update:Rory McIlroy will have more time to focus on next week's US Masters for he is almost certain to miss the halfway cut at the Houston Open where Pádraig Harrington was within four shots of the lead.
McIlroy struggled to make any impact with yesterday's lacklustre opening 74 and matters didn't improve with today's 73.
His round didn't start well as he opened with a bogey five at the first. However birdies came at the sixth and eighth to turn in one under and get back to one over for the tournament.
The 20-year-old's round then unravelled on the back nine as a pair of untimely bogey sixes at the 13th and 16th dropped him to three over with the projected cut currently set at one over.
Harrington was one of the late starters at Redstone Golf Club and started the day on three under after yesterday's 69.
Having teed-off from the 10th the Dubliner reeled off three birdies in his opening four holes and was six under through seven holes.
His round came unstuck at the 18th, his ninth, when his drive caught the fairway bunker, where he proceeded to hit his second into the water left of the green. After taking a penalty he pitched to 13 feet and two-putt for a double-bogey six.
The three-time major winner recovered with a fourth birdie of the day at the second to move back to five under, four off the pace set by American Bryce Molder (66). Australia's Cameron Percy (69) and American Alex Prugh (66) were joint second on eight under.
CLOSER TOhome the West of Ireland Championship at Rosses Point got under way today with Ballyclare's Simon McConnell setting the pace on the opening day of qualifying.
McConnell fired and impressive one under 70 in difficult conditions at the Sligo venue. He leads by one from Lucan teenager Richard O’Donovan, who shot level par.
Radisson-Blu West of Ireland Championship
(Rosses Point Golf Club)
(Play was suspended due to failing light with nine players still to finish their first rounds. First rounds will conclude from 7.45am on Saturday)
70S McConnell (Ballyclare)
71R O'Donovan (Lucan)
72A Hogan (Newlands), A Dunbar (Rathmore), L Lennox ( Moyola Park), D McElroy (Ballymena), R O'Sullivan (Fota Island), N Murray (Dunmurry), J Monaghan (The Island)
73R Bridges (Stackstown), S McGlynn (South County), R Evans (Moyola Park), T O'Flynn (Fota Island)
74D Morgan (Mullingar), R Whitson (Mourne), M Durcan (Co. Sligo), M Mc Ginley Jnr (Grange), M Buggy (Castlecomer), D Coyle (Co Louth), R Carter (Lansdown, Eng), T McGowan (Strandhill)
75R Cannon (Laytown & Bettystown), R Mc Namara (Headfort), G McDermott (Co. Sligo), N Kearns (Omagh), R Leonard (Banbridge), R McConnell (Belvoir Park), R Kenny (Hermitage), J Senior (Heysham, UK), D Reilly (Westmanstown), B Anderson (Co. Sligo), S O'Hara (Co. Sligo), J Hurst (Shawhill, UK), P Cutler (Portstewart), D Lernihan (Castle), M McKnight (Lisburn), A Kearney (Caslterock), R McCarthy (The Island), L Reilly (Galgorm Castle)
76D Kernohan ( Galgorm Castle), M Walsh (Styal, UK), I Kettyle (Rathmore), M Shanahan (West Waterford), E Arthurs (Forrest Little), D Downie (Sutton), J Kerr (Robinhood, UK), D Murphy (Portarlington), B Walton (The Island)
77P Dunne (Greystones), C Doran (Banbridge), D Crowe (Dunmurry), J Fox (Portmarnock), D Coghlan (The Royal Dublin), S Crowe (Dunmurry), E Mc Cormack (Galway), J Lyons ( Galway), D Ruddy (Thurles)
78K Mc Donagh (Athlone), D Hallissey (Muskerry), M Sinclair (Knock), N Grant (Knock), J Martin (San Roque, Esp), G Collins (Rosslare), B Best (Rathmore), D Dunne (Co. Sligo), S Heavey (Co. Sligo), T O'Connor (Athlone), A Lynch (Royal Tara)
79N Gorey ( Lee Valley), J Greene (Carlow), D Glynn (Galway), P Sheehy ( Newcastle West), S Moloney (Castletroy), P Balfe (Rosslare), R Walsh (Kilkenny), C Fairweather (Knock), A Kiernan (Forrest Little), J McIntyre (City of Derry)
80A Wynne (Strandhill), K Egan (Curragh), S Barry (Laytown & Bettystown), M Eichmeier (Hochstall Hurtsfeld, Ger), P Sheehan (Ballybunion), A Kelly (Charleville), C Curley (Newlands), D O'Donovan (Muskerry), M Hammond (Moyola Park)
81A Harty (West Waterford), D Mallon (Dungannon), C Lavery (Rossmore), K Kennedy (Thurles), D Barry (Mahon), S Paul (Tandragee), C Drumm (Rosslare), J Mc Ginn (Laytown & Bettystown), G Lawlor (Newbridge), G Kelly (Co. Louth/UCD), S Barry (Lee Valley)
82J Dillon (Headfort), D Coyne (Tuam), C Campbell (Warrenpoint), G McGrane (The Royal Dublin), G Carew (Edenderry), W Telford (Rathmore)
83P Murray (Limerick), D King (Tramore), S Cannon (Athenry), D Scully (Galway), B Campbell (Malone), R Weldon (Killeen Castle)
84G Mc Kenna (Fortwilliam), S Doherty (Malone), D O'Sullivan (Strandhill), J Keating (Fota Island), J Patterson (Knock), J Foran (Thurles), C O'Sullivan (Fota Island), C Martin (Kilkenny), R Mc Lister (Cardiff, Wal), M Horan (Birr), G Dillon (The Heath)
85L Burns ( Sundridge Park, UK), D Callister ( Mount Murray, IoM)
86A Mc Cormick (Scrabo), D Lally (Mullingar)
87G Leahy (Okeeheelee, USA)
89D O'Connor (Athlone)
NRS Brady (Co. Sligo)