Lowry lights up Toronto but short putts still slowing him down

SHORT GAME FAILINGS: Shane Lowry of Ireland. Pic: Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

Shane Lowry surged into contention on the second day of the RBC Canadian Open in Toronto yet walked away from his three-under 69 with some all-too familiar regrets.

The Offaly native was out early on a damp and dreary Friday morning at Oakdale Golf and Country Club and looked primed to take advantage of the soft conditions. 

While his score put him safely within the top 20 and five off the lead midway through second-round play, there’s an argument that he should have been out in front himself.

Lowry has struggled mightily with his shortest club this season, speaking openly about his work to try to get the putter singing. Just a week out from the year’s third Major, it mostly coughed Friday, particularly from close range. 

Six birdies came his way with an ugly double bogey on the first hole, his 10th, and a bogey on the sixth dragging down his score. But a bit more dragging was done by a clutch of missed birdie opportunities that did a real injustice to some stellar work with his irons.

Lowry watched and winced as three very makeable putts — all within seven feet — slipped by in the space of eight holes. While he closed with a lovely 20-footer for birdie on the short ninth, it was clear there were lingering frustrations as he looks forward to the weekend. 

The 36-year-old had immediate hospitality obligations a the sun finally came out at Oakdale and so wasn’t able to shed light on where he feels his putting is at but the season-long data tells plenty of the story.

Of all the putting numbers that the PGA Tour crunches and presents for further digestion, strokes gained in putting is the top line. Unfortunately, Lowry is languishing near the bottom, sitting 176th of the 197 players on tour this term. Just last week he was outside the top 180. It’s a far, far cry from last year when Lowry sat 63rd for the season in the same category. 

Zoom in to those close ones and things are even more stark. On putts from 5-10 feet, Lowry is making 49% of his efforts, which leaves him sitting 188th of 197.

Lowry has tinkered his approach throughout the season, switching to a shorter putter and working with coach Steven Sweeney. 

After struggles on the greens at Sawgrass in March he told the Irish Examiner that he’d been “working so hard on it, and it's just not coming in. I need to just keep my chin up and keep going, keep working, keep grinding away, and hopefully it'll come in about a month's time.” 

Lowry can take inspiration and positivity from his work further back on the greens. Five of his six birdies Friday came from outside the troublesome zone, holing from 10, 12, 15, 20 and 23 feet. His iron play was a joy to watch too, particularly on the front nine where he lit up the dank morning.

Lowry has a weekend challenge to look forward to here before heading to California on Sunday for next week’s US Open. He’ll be among a host of big names chasing down Friday afternoon’s surprise clubhouse leader Carl Yuan, the world number 164 from China. Yuan carded a superb 67 to go with Thursday’s 68 to sit on nine-under.

Without a home winner for 69 years, Canadian hopes are led by Corey Connors who was three off the lead as the galleries swelled on Friday evening. The undisputed favourite of the Toronto crowds, however, remains Rory McIlroy, bidding to make it three Canadian Open wins on the trot.

Having enjoyed getting back to on-course matters after Tuesday’s PGA-Saudi Arabia bombshell with an opening 71 on Thursday McIlroy raised the tempo on Friday afternoon. 

He was faultless through seven then found his first birdie at the eighth and added two more on 10 and 14 to move to -4, looking fluid and having fun with it all, sitting well within striking distance of the leaders.

Dubliner David Carey, who’d qualified for just his second PGA Tour start this week, looked unlikely to make the cut after shooting a 74 to leave himself on three-over overall.