Golf

Shane Lowry fights back with second round 69 at Players Championship

An eagle on the 11th the highlight of a scorecard that also featured six birdies and five bogeys in difficult conditions

Shane Lowry plays a shot from the bunker on the fourth hole during the second round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Photograph: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
Shane Lowry plays a shot from the bunker on the fourth hole during the second round of The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass. Photograph: Sam Greenwood/Getty Images
Philip Reid
Fri Mar 10 2023 - 19:59

What a difference a day can make, for Shane Lowry. No snapping of club shafts in anger, and no offensive language. Instead, Lowry made a valiant effort to let his clubs do the talking in his attempt to survive the cut and improved by eight shots in following his opening round 77 with a 69 for a midway total of two-over-par 146 in The Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.

If that left him in some sort of golfing purgatory for his troubles, on the bubble and unsure if his efforts would ensure his survival into the weekend of the €23 million purse flagship event on the PGA Tour with its €4 million pot of gold for the champion, Lowry at least managed to produce a round that featured more good than bad and without the utter frustration that had infiltrated his mind in the opening round.

Lowry showed great fortitude in fighting back from that horrid opening round. The highlight was an eagle three on the Par 5 11th, his second hole of the round, where he hit an approach shot from 245 yards in to 12 feet. But it was a rollercoaster ride for much of the way, with that eagle part of a scorecard that also featured six birdies and five bogeys in an eventful round in difficult conditions.

Two of those birdies came on the closing stretch of holes, on the seventh, where he holed a nine footer, and then a wonderful tee shot to two feet on the Par 3 eighth. However, his quest for a third straight birdie to finish came up short when he could only manage a par on the Par 5 ninth.

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Walking off the sixth green, Lowry had a quick talk with caddie Darren Reynolds targeting a birdie sequence to finish. “I said to Darren that I’ve played with so many guys that birdied the last three holes ‘so, let’s go!’ You know what I mean? I’m happy and proud of myself that I did that. I never gave up. Regardless (of making the cut or not), I’ve shot a couple of bad scores lately and it’s not from a lack of trying with me. 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 be proud of yourself.”

[ Shane Lowry snaps club in rage after nightmare start to Players Championship ]

Séamus Power, though, added a 76 to his opening 74 for a total of six-over-par 150 that meant he missed the cut.

Jon Rahm, the world number one, was forced to withdraw before the second round due to illness as rookie Ben Griffin’s 71 for six-under-par 138 saw the 26-year-old American – chasing a breakthrough win on the tour – claimed the clubhouse lead.

Griffin’s route to the PGA Tour has been an unorthodox one, playing on the Canada Tour and the Korn Ferry before breaking away to work in the financial sector during Covid and then returning to win a full tour card:

“Taking a break has provided me with an awesome perspective. A lot of guys out here, not going to say any names, but a lot of people have big egos, and for me I’m just very grateful to be playing and very lucky to play in awesome conditions,” said Griffin, whose best finish was a runner-up to Power in last year’s Bermuda Championship.

Philip Reid

Philip Reid

Philip Reid is Golf Correspondent of The Irish Times