Scoring was hard on a rain-soaked morning at the K Club with 2009 victor Shane Lowry battling through a topsy-turvy round before eventually signing for a one under par 71.
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Callum Shinkwin and Jaco van Zyl are one shot down on McIlroy at four under, one ahead of Ross Fisher, Martin Kaymer, Brett Rumford and defending champion Soren Kjeldsen.
McIlroy tees off from the 10th at 8.25am this morning while Willett is in the group after at 8.35am.
“The golf course is in great condition”, he said.
“We’re here to try and raise as much money as we possibly can for three local charities in the Dublin area, but also it’s a tournament that I desperately would love to win one day”.
“David came to the rescue as he had back-up one, and while it took a little adjustment on the range, all in all it felt good and hopefully it will serve me well over the weekend. I still have to make the cut tomorrow”, McIlroy said.
But after an indifferent Players Championship effort last week, that included see-saw rounds of 72, 64, 75 and 70, the current world number three is not too pleased what he’s been reading.
McIlroy added a second round two-under-par 70 to his opening score of 67 to move within a shot of the leading duo of Willett and Scotland’s Marc Warren on the Palmer Course at the K. Club.
“But to win here, no matter what the circumstances are, whether I ve won the week before or whether I haven t won in six months, to win the Irish Open would be something that would be very special”.
“I’m not top-50 in the world and as such I’ve not got into the events in America to fill in some downtime we have on the European Tour”.
“My performances in this event, obviously over the past three years, but going beyond that, haven’t been what I would want”.
“I’m relaxed about it but it also frustrates me, I guess the negative spin that’s put on my form”, said McIlroy.
Masters champion Willett has bounced back from missing the cut in last week’s Players Championship, adding a 71 to his opening score of 65 as the Englishman seeks to win for a third occasion this season.
McIlroy is in his second year as tournament host.
“But if you look at the leader board I’m only one shot off the lead”.
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“I gave myself plenty of chances and took care of most of the par-fives but made too many mistakes”. “But the schedule feels as if I’ve been stop-start a lot by not being top 50 in the world and getting into the events in America to fill in some of the downtime we have on the European Tour”.
