Shane Lowry makes European history to move into contention at PGA Championship
Shane Lowry shot the lowest ever round in a major by a European male here at the 106th US PGA Championship on Saturday, but his remarkable afternoon could so easily have been yet more historic.
The Irishman gave himself an 11-footer on the 18th at Valhalla for what would have been the first 61 in more than 145,000 rounds and 164 years of the men’s majors. Alas, his birdie putt dribbled a few inches under the hole and Lowry was forced to be content with simply reopening his continent’s record books and with recording just the fifth 62.
And, of course, of playing himself into contention for the Wanamaker Trophy by advancing to 13-under and to within two of American leaders Xander Schauffele (68) and Collin Morikawa (68), so presenting himself with the tantalising chance of adding to his 2019 Open victory.
“I enjoyed it, every minute of it, until maybe the last minute,” said Lowry who shot a 63 in the third round at Royal Portrush five years ago.
“It’s probably the most disappointed anyone can ever be shooting 62. I knew what was at stake. Just I didn’t hit the ball hard enough. But look, I went out there with a job to do today, and my job was to try to get myself back in the tournament, and I definitely did that.”
Lowry could hardly berate his putting. He holed three putts of 15 feet or more in his quartet of birdies from the second hole, although the highlight with the mallet - that he put in his bag three weeks away when he and compatriot Rory McIlroy won the PGA Tour pairs event in New Orleans - was on the 13th and 14th when 30-footers dropped.
“It’s been a slow year for me on the greens, so it’s been nice to see that,” Lowry said. “But if only on the 18th…”
Lowry threw his head back in despair when he under hit his putt for immortality, but was soon hugged by Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose. The Englishman laughed later when asked if he thought that he would ever compile a 64 in major and find himself “losing” to a playing partner by two strokes.
“I was pretty average compared to Shane,” the 43-year-old said.
“We had a good energy in the group and Shane and I fed off each other, as well as the crowd who knew we were both doing well. I felt a bit sorry for Jason [Day, the other member of the threeball who shot a 69]. I had a weird feeling early on that I would shoot a 61 as it was on. I said to Fooch [Mark Fulcher] his caddie with four to go ‘Shane needs two more birdies’ so after he made that one on the 17th, I knew exactly what I was watching.”
On his own hopes of at last giving a partner to his 2013 US Open title and becoming the first Englishman in 105 years to win the US PGA, Rose was brimming with positivity. The veteran has fallen to 68th in the world rankings and is without a top 10 anywhere since the British Masters at the Belfry in July. But Rose excels on this type of stage and is alongside Scotland’s Bob MacIntyre (69) on 12-under and within three.
“I’ve always been good at sort of elevating my game to the situation,” Rose said. “And that’s what’s been motivating me to stick with it and keep working hard - to try to give myself the Indian summer of my career and to try to still steal one or two more of these to really make it a fantastic career. To win, I think it could take something similar to today. But it’s sort of like just a free-wheel opportunity.”
With 15 players within five of the pace, this could be a cavalry charge, a stampede to the line with runs of pars acting as brakes instead of consolidation. The layout is dartboard soft, there is barely a gust and the greens are so receptive and because of their essentially small nature, there is not much the organisers can do to tuck the pins. Hence a birdie feast, with an eagle side salad thrown in.
Lowry showed those in the pack what is possible. The 37-year-old started the third round in a tie for 29th, finished the day in a tie for fourth alongside the resurgent Norwegian Viktor Hovland (66) and everyone’s favourite big-hitter Bryson DdeChambeau (67) who chipped in on the last for a fist-pumping eagle
On eight-under and in a tie for 19th, McIlroy should take heart from the opportunity for huge leaderboard leaps as he looks for his fifth major triumph at the Jack Nicklaus design where he won his most recent 10 years ago. However, McIlroy looked bereft after his own birdie on the 18th for a 68. With good reason.
After bogeying the first, the world No 2 picked up a birdie on the driveable par-fourth fourth and when he reeled off more red numbers in succession from the seventh he was up to nine-under and in the mix. For context, he was only one behind Lowry, in the group ahead, at that stage.
Yet while Lowry stayed hot, McIlroy’s putter caught a cold and he missed decidedly makeable birdie attempts on the next three holes. He then bogeyed the 14th and 16th - again, after putts he would have expected to convert - and he will need something spectacular on Sunday.
“Depending on what happens tomorrow, when I look back on the tournament, I may rue that six-hole stretch where I wasn’t able to hole any putts,” he said.
“I need the putter to heat up again, and with everything else I’m doing, there’s certainly another low one in me.”
Scottie Scheffler requires a scenario verging on the miraculous, to follow up his Masters glory last month and make it five wins from the last six events.
This two-over 73, that sent him back to seven-under, was his first over par of the round and could have been a late reaction to the turmoil on Friday that saw him arrested and charged with assault of a police officer after what the golfer claims was a “misunderstanding” when attempting to drive into Valhalla on Friday morning.
If nobody foresaw that barely believable scene, then this Saturday mediocrity was also unexpected.
