Shane Lowry happy to have given himself a chance after battling 69

On Friday at the Players Championship, with swirling winds further firming up a course that was already on the edge, Lowry’s fortunes ebbed and flowed like a heavyweight boxing match

UP AND DOWN: Shane Lowry reacts after hitting his drive on the fourth hole during the second round of the Players Championship golf tournament. Pic: AP Photo/Eric Gay

In 2020 in the final round of the Masters, Shane Lowry played with Tiger Woods and witnessed the worst hole of Tiger’s career – a 7-over-par 10 on the par-3 12th hole that scuttled all hope of defending his green jacket.

Instead of folding, however, Woods proceeded to birdie five of the last six holes. It was a lesson in fighting back that Lowry internalized and still carries with him.

“Never give up,” Lowry said of a mindset that turned Friday into an all-day battle against the course, elements and a looming cut line that seemed almost out of reach after an opening 77 when little went right for him on the TPC Sawgrass Stadium Course.

“I’ve shot a couple of bad scores lately and it’s not from a lack of trying with me,” he said after a pair of late birdies and a clutch scrambling par on his last capped a 3-under 69 that gave him hope of sneaking into the weekend at the Players Championship. “I never give up and try my best. I probably try too hard sometimes. I didn’t give up today and if you don’t give up and give it your all you can sit here at the end of the day and be proud of yourself.” 

On Friday, with swirling winds further firming up a course that was already on the edge, Lowry’s fortunes ebbed and flowed like a heavyweight boxing match. His opening bogey on 10 dropped him to 6-over, but he immediately countered with an eagle-birdie combo at 11 and 12. Subsequent bogeys at 13 and 14 left him right where he started.

Lowry answered again with birdies at 16, 1 and 2 to get back to 2-over before “killer” bogeys at 4 and 5 diminished hopes of posting a number good enough to stick around two more days.

“I had a good chance on 2 for eagle and a good chance on 3 for birdie and 4 was a killer and 5 was even more disappointing,” Lowry said. “But we keep going.

“I said to Darren (Reynolds, his caddie) walking off the sixth green that I’ve played with so many guys that birdied the last three to make the cut so let’s go. … I sort of thought if we could get to 2 (over), even get to 3 playing the ninth, you can eagle the ninth.” 

Lowry drained a 9-footer on 7 for birdie and then hit the closest shot of the week on the long par-3 eighth to 2 feet to get back to 2-over. With the cross wind kicking up, his fairway wood from 258 yards sailed right off the grandstands, leaving him short-sided from 54 yards. His wedge came up inches short into the face of a small pot bunker, and he blasted to 5 feet and saved a critical par to keep his hopes for the weekend alive.

“If the storm doesn’t come in I think it might have a sniff,” Lowry said of conditions that were only getting harder as the day worn on Friday. “I was trying to birdie 9 obviously and then I got out of position and I was happy that I made par. Yeah, it’s gonna be a sweat this afternoon but I’m hopeful and I’d be very happy if I was to make the weekend.

“I’m very happy with today. Like I didn’t play that great and didn’t feel comfortable out there but to shoot 69 in those conditions is pretty good. I said Darren after I come off 9, regardless of whether we make the cut or not, to throw a 69 out there in those conditions is pretty good and we move on whether it be here tomorrow or home for a much-needed rest. I’m happy and proud of myself that I did that.” 

Lowry did not expect to be sweating it out until the cut is set (on Saturday) when he walked to the first tee on Thursday. But it quickly turned into an uphill battle on a course when he contracted a sudden case of “the lefts” and spend most of the first round chopping out of juicy rough.

“I missed too many fairways yesterday,” he said. “It’s so funny, I felt so comfortable coming in here Wednesday and really excited going out yesterday. Honestly felt incredible with the putter in my hand. Practice went good. And then I went out there and it was like I never played the game before.

“To be honest I had a left in me yesterday and I don’t normally have a left. If you go through this golf course in your head, left is trouble on every hole. So, it’s a stressful and tough golf course in those conditions. Figured something out on the range and played a little bit better today but I was probably too scared of left and hit a few right today. It was one of those.” 

His 69 Friday was the third lowest score of the morning half of the field and gives him a puncher’s chance to improve on his PGA Tour points rank of 97 that becomes even more critical looking forward to the tour’s new elevated-event model in 2024.

“Hopefully, if I can make the weekend and I can go on and shoot a couple of decent scores and make a few FedEx Cup points,” he said.

One thing’s for certain: Lowry’s not giving up without a fight.