Lowry co-leads but “taking nothing for granted” as McIlroy maimed by Bear Trap
Shane Lowry fired a super 66 to grab a share of the lead heading into the final round of the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches as Rory McIlroy’s chances were horrifically maimed in the Bear Trap.
The Clara man, seeking his first win since the 2022 BMW PGA (and his first on US soil for nine years), got up and down from sand at the 18th for his sixth birdie of the day.
It gave him a share the lead with Austin Eckroat and English journeyman David Skinns on 13-under-par, three ahead of Jacob Bridgeman, Australia’s Min Woo Lee, Scot Martin Laird, Kevin Yu and France’s Victor Perez on one of the game’s most treacherous tests.
“I've obviously played quite well over the last few days,” said Lowry, who was second to Sepp Straka in this event in 2022 and tied fifth last year but knows disaster lurks on almost every shot.
“I'll take nothing for granted. I'll prepare as best I can in the morning, do the same thing I've been doing all week, and go out there and give it myself, and if my best is good enough tomorrow, that will be amazing.
“If not, we'll be back to the drawing board on Monday.”
Lowry was especially pleased to gather himself after a sloppy bogey at the 13th, where he three-putted from just off the green, missing a three-footer.
“I hit some great shots when I needed to,” Lowry said. “13 was very disappointing. But I feel like 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, and I felt from there on in, I hit the ball really well, and I putted quite nicely coming in. I was very happy with how I reacted after that.
“You know when you go out on this golf course and this tournament that you're going to face a bit of adversity somewhere, I did a little bit today, and I felt like I dealt with it quite well.”
He led the tournament down the stretch in 2022 but got pipped by Sepp Straka’s fast finish and an unfortunate rainstorm that hit as he played the 18th, preventing him from reaching the green in two.
But he’s ready to take his chances on one of the tour’s most treacherous courses on Sunday.
“I like when everything is on the line a lot out there,” Lowry said. “You're standing there over a lot of shots on this golf course, a lot that means a lot, as in one bad swing can lead to a big number.
“I feel like I just know how to play the golf course.
“There are certain golf courses I've figured out, certain golf courses I haven't, and this is one that I have, and hopefully I can keep going tomorrow and give it a good run.”
If Lowry overcame adversity, it was the opposite for McIlroy, whose hopes of a second win at PGA National since 2012 suffered a massive blow when he undid a back nine charge in the Bear Trap stretch from the 15th to the 17th.
Just two shots off the lead with four holes to go after some brilliant play from the tee, the world number two bogeyed the short 15th before running up a triple-bogey seven at the 16th after failing to splash out of the water in the penalty area right of the green.
Despite a closing birdie, a one-over 72 left McIlroy six shots behind Lowry and Skinns, tied for 26th on seven-under.
It was a far different back nine for Lowry, who hasn’t won on US soil since the 2015 WGC Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone and needed a sponsor’s invitation for next week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
Now ranked 57th in the world, Lowry got off to a great start, hitting a wedge to two feet at the first before rolling in a 15-footer at the third and a 22-footer at the fourth to get to 11-under and tie for the lead with overnight leader Bud Cauley.
He’d par the next three holes before salvaging a brilliant par at the eighth, where he drove into the hazard left but hit his 141-yard third to four feet before rolling in the putt.
Lowry went on to two-putt the par-five 10th for a birdie to get to 12-under, but while he made a mess of the 13th and dropped a shot by taking four to get down from 90 yards, he made a brilliant birdie at the 16th.
It left him tied for the lead with Eckroat and English journeyman Skinns (42) as Mcllroy’s back nine charge ended abruptly in the Bear Trap.
The world number two was frustrated to start with eight pars and duly three-putted the ninth.
He replied with three birdies in his next four holes to get within touching distance of the leaders on 12-under. But after failing to save par from the left bunker at the short 15th, his recent struggles to control his irons resurfaced at the 16th.
A pushed approach from 169 yards bounced right into the penalty area, from where he decided to take off his right shoe and play ball.
It failed to make it all the way to the green and rolled back into the water, forcing him to take a drop and eventually two-putted from nine feet for a triple bogey seven.
He had a chance to get one stroke back at the 17th but missed from seven feet for a two.
A two-putt birdie at the 18th gave McIlroy a one-over 72 that left him six back.
