Shane Lowry showcased his exceptional skills with a five-under-par 67 on the second day of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, securing a two-shot lead at Bay Hill in Florida. The Irishman, now eight under overall, started Friday two strokes behind overnight leader Wyndham Clark but quickly made up ground with three birdies on both the front and back nine. His only mistake came at the par-five 16th, where he missed a four-foot putt for par.

Lowry's playing partner, Rory McIlroy, managed a solid round of 70 despite bogeying the 18th hole for the second consecutive day, keeping him four shots behind. Meanwhile, Wyndham Clark, the 2023 US Open champion, dropped three shots in the final four holes to sit two adrift of Lowry. Collin Morikawa maintained a bogey-free 68, tying him with Corey Conners for third place.

Jason Day took advantage of improved conditions compared to Thursday, posting the day's best round with an eight-under 64. His performance included an eagle at the 532-yard par-five sixth hole, marking his lowest score in 41 rounds at the tournament. On the other hand, Scottie Scheffler, a two-time winner of this event, struggled to find his rhythm. The world number one opened with a birdie but faltered with a double bogey on the par-three second hole. Despite three birdies on the back nine, his level-par 72 left him seven shots off the lead.

Further down the leaderboard, Austria's Sepp Straka recovered from a first-round 77 with a six-under 66, easily making the cut. England's Matt Fitzpatrick also bounced back from a challenging first-round 78, carding a three-under 69 to ensure his presence over the weekend.