Lowry rues ‘horror shot’ but pledges to fight on

Shane Lowry produced his best major performance since winning the 2019 Open but the Irisman was left to rue a “horrendous” shot in the final round of the 86th Masters.

Lowry, inset, finished joint-fourth behind Scottie Scheffler after a rollercoaster ride on the final day at Augusta National.

He was one-under through the first three holes before running up a triple-bogey 6 at the fourth after sending his tee shot into bushes on the right of the green.

But, on his seventh appearance in the event, Lowry then covered the remaining 13 holes in fiveunder as he signed off with a gutsy 69.

“It is quite pleasing to do what I did and finish the way I did is very pleasing,” he said after rolling in a putt across the 18th green for a closing birdie. “But it’s going to be one of those where it’s like so near and so far type thing.

“I don't know how many chances you’re going to get to win the Green Jacket. But I played some great golf all week.

“I’ve got so many positives to take from it, and, yeah, it’s kind of onwards and upwards from here.”

On the costly shot at the fourth, Lowry added: “I just tried to be a bit clever and try to hit a 3-iron up in the air. It was just a horrendous shot.”

The 35-year-old reckons this effort showed that he can give himself chances to add to that Claret Jug victory three years ago.

“Look, I’ve got fight,” he said. “I’ve got determination and I’m never going to stop trying.

“Scottie has obviously went down and done his thing. And, when the No 1 player in the world comes out to play his best, he is hard to beat.”

Cameron Smith, who finished alongside Lowry, was left licking his wounds after having Scheffler in his sights for most of the day until running up a triplebogey 6 at the 12th.

“Just too many mistakes,” said the Australian. “Yeah, poor shot on 12, and that was the tournament.

“It was just a perfect 9-iron, just a really bad swing. Probably one of the worst swings of the week and just at the worst time of the week.

“Yeah, just unfortunate, but I’ll grow from this and be stronger for it.”