McIlroy and Lowry in top-10 at Genesis Invitational

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry both posted rounds of 69 to climb into the top-10 midway through the second round the the Genesis Invitational at the Riviera Country Club.

World No. 1 McIlroy sits tied-4th spot, three strokes behind leader Keith Mitchell, after carding a birdie in the final hole of his round at the 9th.

Beginning on the back nine, McIlroy opened with a bogey on the 10th, before carding back-to-back birdies at 12 and 13. It was a steady and uneventful round from there, the four-time major winner registering 13 successive pars before ending the mundane streak with a birdie at the last to lift him to with three of the lead.

McIlroy was paired with Tiger Woods - who apologised after his round for handing Justin Thomas a tampon after out-driving him at the 15th hole on Thursday - who was left sweating on the cut-line at three-over par.

Woods' putting touch deserted him late on, with three bogeys in the final four holes,

FULL LEADERBOARD

Two strokes further back from McIlroy in tied-9th - at time of writing - is Shane Lowry, the 2019 Open Champion carding a second successive 69 at the Californian venue.

Also beginning on 10, Lowry reached the turn in 34 thanks to birdies at the 11th and 12th. Another birdie followed at the 1st before a rather messy finish, with a bogey at 7, a birdie at 8, before ending a dropped stroke at the 9th.

Seamus Power carded a second round of 70 to sit at one-under par, rattling in late birdies on 16 and 17 to get under par by the midway point.

American Keith Mitchell - last winner of the Honda Classic in 2019 - retains the lead after following his opening 64 with a 69. He is a stroke clear of two-time major winner Collin Morikawa, with Max Homa - still early on in his Friday round - on -7.