More pain for Lowry as Berger leads by five at Bay Hill
Shane Lowry suffered a self-inflicted blow for the second week running when he battled his way inside the cut line at the Arnold Palmer Invitational only to miss the cut after a crucial late error.
Just five days after blowing a three-shot lead at the Cognizant Classic with double bogeys at the 16th and 17th in the final round, Lowry bogeyed the 18th from the middle of the fairway to miss the cut by a shot at Bay Hill.
He was a shot inside the two-over cut line after making eight pars and a birdie on the front nine.
But after racking up a double-bogey six after finding water with his approach at the 11th, he spectacularly chipped in from 30 yards for an eagle three at 12th.
He handed those shots back with back-to-back bogeys at the 14th and 15th.
But after getting back inside the cut line with a two-putt birdie four at the 16th and getting up and down from sand for par at the 17th, he bogeyed the last to shoot 73 and miss the weekend.
Facing a 156-yard approach from the centre of the fairway, he got caught out by the breeze and came up a few feet short of safety in the penalty area.
His ball finished on dry land, but behind some rocks, which he clipped as he chopped his third some 35 feet right of the hole.
He did well to make bogey in the end after blasting his par putt seven feet past.
But his exit leaves Rory McIlroy as the lone Irish challenger to runaway leader Daniel Berger.
Chasing his first win for five years, Floridian Berger (32) added a 68 to his spectacular opening 63 to lead by five shots from Akshay Bhatia, 66 yesterday, on 13-under.
“Actually, I feel like I played better,” Berger admitted.
“Yesterday was one of those days where you just kind of tallied up at the end and you're like, wow, I made nine birdies.
“I think the course was a little tougher today. The green speeds are up there, the pin positions are tough.
“So I’m looking forward to the next couple of days, seeing what the challenge brings.”
Ludvig Aberg, Sahith Theegala and Collin Morikawa were tied for third, six shots behind on seven under.
But while Rory McIlroy was tied for ninth on four under, nine adrift after a 68, he was pleased with his position heading into the weekend on a treacherous course that’s likely to prove a formidable challenge.
“If we don't get any rain the next couple of days, which it looks like we won't, it's going to be really difficult,” McIlroy predicted.
World number one Scottie Scheffler was a shot further back, ten shots off the pace in joint 15th on three under.
But the Texan, twice a winner at Bay Hill, cut a frustrated figure at the finish as he three-putted from just off the 18th green for bogey and a 71 before angrily hurling his ball into the lake.
McIlroy believes his firepower on the par-fives will be key this weekend.
The Masters champion, who revealed that he shares a locker with Raymond Floyd and the late Ben Hogan in the Champions Locker Room at Augusta National, came home in four-under 32.
“I played a very controlled round of golf,” said the world number two. “I stayed as patient as I could. Again, played the par fives well — I’ve made seven birdies and a par — and this golf course is all about being patient, having a conservative strategy and knowing that pars are good scores on a lot of the holes here.
“So I played a great back nine, four under, got some momentum there and I'm excited to be in the mix for the weekend.”
He’s pleased with his game as the Masters approaches, revealing that he almost holed out for an albatross at the 15th on a visit to Augusta with his father when replicating his iconic seven iron hook around the trees in last year’s final round.
“I nearly pitched it in the hole,” he beamed, revealing that the seven-iron he used last year is now on display in the Champions Locker Room.
“It was actually a better shot than the one I hit in. It was unbelievable. I wish I’d got it on camera.”
Playing the par fives well will also be key this weekend.
“Even if you hit the ball in the fairway with this little bit of breeze with the firm greens, it's hard to get the ball close,” McIlroy explained.
“You're hitting good iron shots to 25-30 feet all the time, and you're not going to make a lot of those.
"So you really have to make the bulk of your score on the par fives and just stay really patient for the rest of the way.”
Séamus Power, meanwhile, missed the two under par cut in the Puerto Rico Open.
After opening with a 75, he birdied the 11th and eagled the 14th to get back to level par, but a level par homeward nine for 69 that left him on level par.
Chandler Blanchet shot 67 to lead by four shots on 13 under from Gordon Sargent, who shot 70.
