Bittersweet for Lowry as he misses out on Truist Championship but breaks into world's top 10
Shane Lowry of Ireland lines up a putt on the No. 10 green during the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, Sunday, April 13, 2025
Shane Lowry suffered late heartbreak in the Truist Championship but still broke into the world's top 10 for the first time and earned plaudits from Rory McIlroy for his incredible consistency.
Tied for the lead with his Austrian Ryder Cup partner Sepp Straka with three holes to go at Philadelphia Cricket Club, the new world number 10 bogeyed the short 16th and went to the last a shot behind.
Straka looked in trouble when he drove into a fairway bunker but hit a brilliant approach to 30 feet to heap the pressure on Lowry.
The Clara man knew he'd likely need a birdie to force extra holes but after hitting a brilliant approach to 20 feet and watching Straka knock his birdie putt nearly four feet past, he aggressively went for his birdie putt, ran it six feet past and missed the return.
It was a massive anti-climax to a fierce battle for the title, and with the pressure off, Straka rolled in his par putt for a 68 to claim his fourth PGA Tour win on 16-under.
He pocketed $3.6m and moved from 17th to ninth in the world as Lowry's 70 left him tied for second on 14-under with Justin Thomas, who shot 67.
McIlroy closed with a bogey-free 68 to finish joint seventh on 10-under, and while he waited in vain to see Lowry lift the trophy, he's impressed by his close friend's remarkable consistency.
"I've seen a big difference in Shane since he started living here full-time," said McIlroy, who didn't hit enough fairways to give himself birdie chances but feels comfortable with his game heading to Quail Hollow for this week's PGA Championship.
"We practice and play together so much at home. Just the back and forth from Ireland is tough. Even this time of the year, it's still hard to practice over there.
"I just feel like I've seen such a big improvement in his consistency week to week because of where he lives, being able to practice in great conditions on great golf courses, get in games with the likes of myself or Rickie or JT or whoever lives down in Jupiter.
"It's been amazing as his friend to see him play so well and so consistently. I'm going to hang around here and hopefully see him get the job done."
Sadly for Lowry, it was not to be as he took 33 putts on the final day.
He began it tied for the lead with Straka, whose win was the eighth by a European player on the PGA Tour this year.
He made a 12-footer for birdie at the first to take the lead but made nothing longer than a six-footer after that.
While Straka eagled the fifth, Lowry made a birdie of his own to share the lead, then led alone when the Austrian bogeyed the sixth.
Straka moved two shots clear with birdies at the eighth and ninth, but he bogeyed the 10th and 11th to fall back alongside Lowry again.
Both men birdied the par-five 15th, where Lowry almost chipped in for eagle, to move two shots clear of Thomas.
But Lowry short-sided himself in the left rough at the 222-yard 16th, missing a seven-footer for par that arguably cost him his chance to win as an individual for the first time in more than two and a half years.
His closing three-putt was his first of the week, and he will be keen to analyse his performance with the putter on Sunday.
Having ranked ninth for strokes gained putting in round one, 27th in round two and 28th in round three, he was 62nd of 69 players on Sunday.
His cheque for $1.76m will be little consolation and while his move from 12th to 10th in the world is a significant milestone, he will need to regroup mentally now at Quail Hollow, which ranks near the bottom on his list of favourite venues.
"I don't even have a love-hate for Quail Hollow," he said in February of a course where his best finish in seven appearances is 24th.
"It's just a pure hatred for it!"
It's the opposite feeling for McIlroy, who has won four times at Quail Hollow and feels good about his chances this week, even though his aggressive play from the tee failed to work on the wide open spaces of Philadelphia Cricket Club.
"I sort of struggled with this in Houston as well, whenever we get these big, wide, open golf courses where there's not a ton of definition," he said. "I think I would have hit more fairways if it had been tree-lined."
He added: "Overall, I felt like I got a little better as the week went on…
"I wish I had gotten myself into contention a little bit more, but it was a good week, especially looking ahead to next week."
It was no more than an average week for Seamus Power, who finished tied for 34th in the PGA Tour's 'additional event', ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic.
After opening with a 64, Power paid a high price for a 76 in round two and while he closed with a brace of 69s, he finished nine shots outside a playoff.
New Zealander Ryan Fox beat Mackenzie Hughes and Harry Higgins with a birdie at the first extra hole to claim his maiden PGA TOUR win.
