Nine minutes separated their walks from the practice putting green to the first tee, a pathway – with security men holding gangling ropes to keep the patrons at bay – on lush, green grass. Better than any red carpet.

First, Shane Lowry; then, Rory McIlroy. One following in the footsteps of the other, both with an eye on the same grand prize: a coveted green jacket.

Just over five hours and 10 minutes later – yep, rounds took that long as players were buffeted by stiff winds in every corner of golfing paradise – Lowry emerged from the recorder’s hut.

At the same time, McIlroy, on the 18th green below, made an outstanding par save.

Both had survived, both remained very much in contention. In Lowry’s case, a 76 for 144, level par, meant he could finally relax, to take a deep breath. He was part of the posse. In McIlroy’s case, a strong finish – birdies on the 15th and 16th – enabled him to sign for a 71, for three-under-par 141. A man on a mission, chasing destiny and that career Grand Slam.

For Lowry, there were times when it seemed as if his quest would unravel. To his credit, he kept it together. On this day, a 76 was not what he wanted but it wasn’t by any means the end of the road. There’s still all to fight for.

Mental error

“It was tough. I didn’t do myself any favours with the I start I got off to. It was purely a mental error on the first and the second and all of a sudden I have two bogeys on the card,” said Lowry.

What happened was that Lowry pulled his approach to the first green into a runoff area and failed to get up and down. Bogey. What followed on the Par 5 second was, if anything, enough to get the heart thumping faster. His approach, from the middle of the fairway, was pulled left and struck one of the towering Georgia Pines. It vanished into the wilderness.

Once it was found, Lowry was left with little option other than to pitch back to the fairway. He couldn’t salvage a par, and another bogey went onto his card. Bogey. Bogey. Then, he rolled up his sleeves and salvaged a par on the third, which started a run of six successive pars until a birdie on the ninth saw him turn in 37 strokes.

However, Lowry was to discover that Amen Corner’s angelic appearance had devilish inclinations. A bogey on the 11th was followed by a double bogey on the 12th. Once upon a time, Ben Crenshaw had remarked of this corner of Augusta National: “The 12th hole eventually makes you look like a fool! Because of the wind, there are times when you hit and hope.”

Those words still hold true.

Lowry’s tee shot to the Par 3 flew the green and required a search party to find the ball in the bushes. It led to a penalty drop, a failure to find the putting surface with his recovery and eventually a five.

Of that plight, he explained: “I just tugged the tee shot on 12 and ended up in a bush. I dropped it on the bush and just got out. It was actually a decent five in the end, there is no way I wanted to go back to that tee!”

“There are just some pins you can’t get to. It was definitely a course set up for level par to be a good score today. When you get your chances you have to take them. I missed a great chance on 16 to get to two under but then I made a great par save on 17. “

Little disappointed

Lowry added: “You have to fight and grind for every par, and that is what I did. You have to be mentally strong and tough and I managed to keep my head on quite well and play some golf. I’m a little disappointed with a 76 but the two round total is good. It’s up to me to do what I can and give myself half a chance for Sunday.”

For McIlroy, his round had started hot – birdies on the second and third – before a reality check came with a double bogey five on the fourth, where an errant tee shot into a greenside bunker effectively stopped him in his tracks.

But he rolled up his sleeves, got on with the challenge and gathered critical momentum as he got closer to the clubhouse.

Birdies on the 15th and 16th allied with the fine par save on 18 put him very much in contention for the only Major that has so far eluded him.

As he removed his cap on the 18th green, having clattered his way through the trees down the right and somehow salvaged a par, the swagger that has been witnessed in Congressional and Kiawah Island and Hoylake and Valhalla was again evident. Chasing history can do that.

And, of all players, McIlory – the ghosts of his implosion here in 2011 well and truly banished – is the player of his generation who knows how to get the job done. The swagger was understandable.