Lowry continues marathon run on home turf at the Cognizant Classic

Shane Lowry speaks to the media before the Cognizant Classic at the Palm Beaches in Florida.
Shane Lowry is a homebird at heart, but he admits the Cognizant Classic at the Palm Beaches is the next best thing to Ireland as he looks to end his three-and-a-half-year victory drought this week.
The Offaly man (38) has racked up three top-five finishes in his last four starts at PGA National and while it’s his fifth event in seven weeks and the third leg of a five-in-a-row stretch that will take him on to Bay Hill and The Players, getting to sleep in his own bed could be worth its weight in gold.
“Yeah, it's a tournament I always enjoy playing every year,” admitted Europe’s Ryder Cup hero, who arrives in West Palm Beach with good form under his belt after finishing tied for eighth in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am and a respectable joint 24th after closing with three rounds in the sixties at last week’s Genesis Invitational.
“I live here now, so it's a home event. I get to stay in my own bed, which is nice. I really like this golf course.
“I like that the rough is a bit thicker this year. It was a little bit too easy last year, I thought. I don't want to exactly see 59s around here, but yeah, I hope the scoring is a little bit more difficult this year and it plays like it used to.”
While he won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with Rory McIlroy in xxx, Lowry’s last individual win came at in the BMW PGA at Wentworth 1,263 days ago.
He’s done everything bar win since then, racking up 16 top ten finishes, and while he would not nromally play five events in a row, the Champion Course at PGA National is a track that’s right up his street now that he’s become adept at handling the grasses in Florida.
”Yeah, I really enjoy Florida golf, he said. “It's funny, when I moved here first or when I started coming, when I played the old Honda Classic as it was back when I started playing here, I couldn't figure out how to chip around these greens. I wish it was overseeded back then.
“But I figured it out, I moved here, and you kind of learn how to deal with the Bermuda and the Florida grasses, and I do love Florida golf now. I really enjoy this tournament, Bay Hill, Players.
“I really enjoy going to play the Valspar, even though I might not play this year. I'm not sure I can play six in a row. But there's certain courses I love playing, and a lot of them are Florida courses.”
Being in Florida for the next three weeks is a big plus for the Clara man, whose father, Brendan, is staying with him this week.
“Well, I think if it was five weeks in a row and there was no home weeks in there, I wouldn't play five weeks in a row,” said the world number 31, who is the second-highest ranked player in the field behind 26th-ranked Ryan Gerard.
“I think the fact that I'm staying at home this week makes it easier. I get to drive to Bay Hill next week, so there are no flights. I get to see my family.
“I get to stay in my own bed. I'm playing early tomorrow, so I won't get to drop the kids to school but I get to pick them up. Friday, I get to drop them off at school. It's a nice week.
“My dad came and he's staying with me. It's just nice. I like it. Some people might not, but I do like it.”
The big talking point at PGA National is the weak field, with none of the world’s top 10 taking part, as it sits between two back-to-back signature event fortnights.
As the Palm Beach Post’s Tom Tom D'Angelo pointed out: ”In 2014, seven of the top 10 golfers in the world at the time of the tournament were in the field. In the last six years combined, three golfers ranked in the top 10 have played.”
Lowry is joined by Seamus Power, who has missed the cut in his four previous appearances at PGA National but arrives after a two-week break looking to rekindle the form that saw him finish 11th behind Justin Rose in the Farmers Insurance Open.
A top-two finish that week would have catapulted the West Waterford man into the signature events at Pebble Beach and Riviera, but he has another chance this week to earn spots at Bay Hill and The Players.
On the DP World Tour, Race to Dubai leader Patrick Reed is looking for his third win in four starts when he makes his debut at the Investec South African Open Championship.
“It’s been amazing. First time in South Africa and it’s been nothing but a pleasure," the former Masters champion said.
"Knowing the tradition and history of the golf tournament, I have talked to a lot of the boys from South Africa and it’s exciting to come over and play with those guys.”
Leona Maguire makes her second start of the season in the LPGA’s HSBC Women's World Championship at Sentosa in Singapore, while on the Ladies European Tour, Lahinch rookie Aine Donegan makes her professional debut alongside Anna Foster in the Ford Women's NSW Open at Wollongong Golf Club.




