Lowry bouncing back from Masters flop in Heritage
SHANE LOWRY is in contention to win his second tournament of the year, having got over his Masters flop to challenge for victory in South Carolina.
After a battle to make Augusta National over several weeks was rewarded with a place in the Masters, he disappeared without trace when he missed the cut. Yet Lowry has been at the head of affairs all week in the RBC Heritage after an opening round of 65.
Stormy weather that delayed Friday’s play meant that he had to come back yesterday morning and finish off his second round, which he did to sign for a 68 and a one-shot halfway lead.
Lowry seemed content to play solid golf in his third round and did little wrong on the outward nine, which saw him land three birdies to go 12 under par at the turn.
Some big names, including Dustin Johnson and Ian Poulter are in the chasing pack, but while it may be a week late, the Offaly man will be in the mix on a Sunday evening. Lowry won on the European Tour in Abu Dhabi in January.
Graeme McDowell was victorious in the recent tour event in the Dominican Republic but he has been too erratic this week and is no challenge to Lowry.
Yesterday yielded a third round of 73, two over par, although that only tells part of the story. He was another early riser yesterday and he went back out with two bogeys and a birdie. The start of the back nine had all the fun of the fair, two birdies followed by a double bogey, a bogey, another birdie and his fourth bogey of the round. He is one under for the tournament.
But for a double bogey, Seamus Power’s third round would have been excellent. As it was he still managed a three-under-par round of 68, that left him on five under overall, with the possibility of a top-10 finish still alive.
A pair of birdies on the 13th and 15th, his fourth and sixth holes, left him well set. Unfortunately he found water on the par-three 17th and ended with a double bogey. He got those shots back at the second with a fine approach to the par-five and a neat eagle putt. One more birdie came at the fifth, his 14th and a muchneeded good finish will be the aim today.