Lowry, 2 others share Cognizant lead

MIAMI (AFP) — Former Open Champion Shane Lowry shook off a “disappointing” short par miss to card a five-under par 66 on Saturday and join David Skinns and Austin Eckroat atop the leaderboard at the US PGA Tour Cognizant Cup.

Lowry, who finished runner-up at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida in 2022, had a 13-under par total of 200.

English journeyman Skinns carded a bogey-free five-under par 66 and Eckroat posted a 68 to join him there — three strokes ahead of a group of five players on 203.

Ireland’s Lowry, chasing his first global title since the 2022 BMW PGA Championship on the DP World Tour, got off to a hot start with birdies at the first, third and fourth.

A birdie at the 10th gave him the solo lead at 12-under, but he missed a three-foot par putt at 13 to fall one back as Eckroat birdied 13.

“Thirteen was very disappointing,” Lowry said. “I was very proud of myself after that because sometimes I can lose it a little bit when I miss a short putt like that.”

“I was very happy with how I reacted after that,” added Lowry, who rolled in a seven-foot birdie putt at the 16th and got up and down from a greenside bunker for a birdie at the par-five 18th.

Lowry, whose British Open triumph and a 2015 WGC Bridgestone crown give him two US PGA Tour titles, owns four other DP World tour titles besides and has to be considered the favorite among the leading trio.

But he said he wouldn’t take anything for granted on Sunday. “If my best is good enough tomorrow, that will be amazing,” Lowry said.

Skinns and Eckroat are each chasing a first tour title. Skinns, 42, launched his day with a 22-foot birdie at the first hole and grabbed his fifth birdie of the day at 18, where he, like Lowry and Eckroat, picking up a shot from the greenside bunker.