Tokyo Olympics golf: Team Ireland’s Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry move into contention

Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry moved into Olympic medal contention with two of the best rounds on day two of the men’s golf tournament.

Xander Schauffele leads on 11 under after an eagle on 14 and three final birdies saw him card an eight-under 63.

Great Britain’s Paul Casey, whose round was halted after the 17th hole because of dangerous weather in the area, was seven under with one hole left to play.

Casey, 44, was in one of the five groups unable to complete their rounds after adverse weather at the Kasumigaseki Country Club.

Play will resume at 07:45 local time on Saturday – the third round will follow once it is completed with threesomes playing from a two-tee start.

Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz is second after finishing on 10 under, while Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, who won the Masters in April, is in a four-way tie for third on eight under.

Casey’s GB team-mate Tommy Fleetwood and Open champion Collin Morikawa of the United States are back on three under.

After an opening two-under 69, four-time major champion McIlroy charged up the leaderboard with two birdies and an eagle on the front nine.

Play was also stopped earlier on Friday because of rain and when the players returned McIlroy knocked in two more birdies to move to eight under – a tie for second and two shots behind Mexico’s Ortiz.

But a bogey on the last saw the 32-year-old Northern Irishman, competing for Ireland at the Games, drop back to seven under in the four-day event.

Ortiz, who shot a 67, led for most of the second round but saw 28-year-old Schauffele pull level after that blistering finish.