Golf

Shane Lowry embraces Bay Hill challenge as he stays on top of the leaderboard

Irish golfer carves out a patient 71 to stay in front on difficult Orlando test

Shane Lowry of Ireland laughs while playing the fifth hole during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Photograph: Brennan Asplen/Getty
Shane Lowry of Ireland laughs while playing the fifth hole during the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Photograph: Brennan Asplen/Getty
Philip Reid
Fri Mar 08 2024 - 20:41

Shane Lowry has known the wrath of the Bay Hill course down through the years to tread cautiously and not to get ahead of himself. So it was in the second round in Orlando, as a patiently crafted 71 to add to his opening 66 for a midway total of seven-under-par 137 gave the Offalyman the clubhouse lead in the €18 million Arnold Palmer Invitational and edged him closer to a first win on the PGA Tour since his 2019 Open success.

Much done, more to do. And while the travails of others – among them his friend Tommy Fleetwood running up a 10 on one hole, thanks to three water balls – only served to underscore the need for patience on a course that gave and took in equal measures, Lowry, playing on a sponsor’s invitation in the limited field tournament, finally found a way to love Arnie’s place.

In the past, Lowry found himself packing his bags and headed for home on a Friday night. Missed cuts in 2021, 2019, 2018 and 2015 brought its own fair share of baggage. But, this time, following on a tied-fourth finish in last week’s Cognizant Classic, Lowry’s demeanour has been of a man embracing, and discovering a new love, for the challenge presented.

“I’m pretty happy to be where I am right now. Obviously, there’s no trophies given out [on a Friday], so I’ll just dig in over the weekend and see where it leads me come Sunday,” said Lowry, after a round that finished in some style with a wedge approach to a couple of feet for a closing birdie that gave him the solo lead at that point.

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On a course which grew ever firmer as the round progressed, Lowry – visibly focused on the task at hand with some swear words understandably escaping his lips in frustration on those few occasions when the gods worked against him – found five birdies and four bogeys in staying very much in contention in an event elevated to signature status.

Of the importance of a patient mindset in the firming of the course, Lowry remarked of a couple of his own moments of angst:

“I was frustrated on 17 because I hit a perfect shot. I felt like I hit a perfect shot on 14. Both times I finished over the green. So that gets quite frustrating when you do that. Especially on 17, if it’s like six inches shorter or even if it’s like a foot further, my chip shot would have been easier.

“It’s just where it finished up against the collar was quite difficult. I had a couple of those today, but that’s what this golf course does. I think it’s going to do more of it over the weekend. You just need to be mentally switched on to go down and give yourself the best chance to get up-and-down, and then hole the putts when you need to.”

Rory McIlroy, who’d spent a considerable time on the practice green with his putting coach Brad Faxon after a frustrating opening round 73, added a second round 70 (six birdies, four bogeys) for 143 to at least ensure he would be around for the weekend and a chance to make inroads.

“I don’t know what the stats look like, but it definitely felt a little better out there. [We] didn’t work on much. I mean, speed, [mainly]. I felt my speed was just a bit off more than anything. The greens look faster than what they are, so just trying to be a little more assertive with my speeds,” explained McIlroy of his emphasis on putting.

Séamus Power suffered a double bogey seven on the Par 5 sixth hole en route to a second round 74 to 144.

Philip Reid

Philip Reid

Philip Reid is Golf Correspondent of The Irish Times