LIV Golf Leaderboard At The Amgen Irish Open

Joaquin Niemann watches a shot, Rahm hits a driver — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Shane Lowry's sparkling second-round 62, a course record at Trump International Doonbeg, has given the chasing pack lots of work to do over the weekend.

Several big names remain in touch and, among those hoping to chase down the home favorite, are multiple LIV Golfers, including Jon Rahm, Joaquin Niemann, Adrian Meronk, and Tom McKibbin.

However, of the nine LIV players to tee it up in Ireland, there were also a few surprise missed cuts, especially Tyrrell Hatton, an eight-time winner on the DP World Tour.

The Englishman, who would have fancied his chances heading to Ireland, was out of sorts on Thursday, shooting an eight-over-par 78.

Lowry himself is a six-time winner, although it's been 17 years since he famously won his national Open as an amateur.

"It's been a while since I've had that much fun on the golf course," said the former Open champion after shooting an eight-under-par course record on Friday.

The Irishman's closest challenge from his half of the field came from China's Haotong Li and Jacob Denmark's Skov Olesen, who posted rounds of 63 and 64 respectively.

However, Lowry, who is chasing a first DP World Tour victory since the BMW PGA Championship four years ago, has given himself a three-shot lead going into the weekend.

Tom McKibbin at the Irish Open — McKibbin and Niemann are the leading LIV Golfers at the halfway stage

His Ryder Cup teammate and close friend Rory McIlroy, meanwhile, sits eleven shots back, after the World No. 2 endured a frustrating day with the putter.

McIlroy's compatriot Tom McKibbin is closer to Lowry and, along with Joaquin Niemann, is currently the leading LIV Golf player.

It's been a turbulent season for the breakaway circuit, which recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but for many of its players, competitive golf continues.

For some players, the early weeks of the off-season presented a chance to begin their bids to earn a DP World Tour card at the First Stage of Q School, while for others, appearances on various circuits are in the pipeline.

This week's Irish Open attracted some of the game's biggest stars, including nine LIV Golf players

LIV GOLF LEADERBOARD AT THE IRISH OPEN

T5 (-5) Tom McKibbin
T5 (-5) Joaquin Niemann
T14 (-3) Jon Rahm
T20 (-2) Adrian Meronk
T47 (E) Sergio Garcia
MC David Puig
MC Thomas Detry
MC Laurie Canter
MC Tyrrell Hatton

Michael has been with Golf Monthly since 2008. A multimedia journalist, he has also worked for The Football Association, where he created content to support the England football team, The FA Cup, London 2012, Wembley Stadium, and the FA Women's Super League. As content editor at Foremost Golf, Michael worked closely with golf's biggest brands and has developed an in-depth knowledge of the equipment side of the industry. He's a regular contributor, covering equipment, travel, instruction, and feature content. Michael has interviewed many of the game's biggest stars and has attended and reported on numerous Major Championships and Ryder Cups around the world. A single figure golfer (just), he's a member of Formby Golf Club in Merseyside, one of the 35 Top 100 courses he’s ticked off to date.