Lowry cashes in his chips

Shane Lowry had plenty to smile about at Gleneagles on Friday. Pictured early this week by Stuart Adams www.golftourimages.comShane Lowry cashed in his chips when he holed out for a closing birdie to win a wager with caddie Dermot Byrne that could be worth the price of the holiday he plans to take next week.

The Offaly man had a bet his faithful bagman that he could chip in more than 10 times this season. He duly did so, holing a bunker shot for a birdie two at the 10th, his closing hole, en route to a 70 that left him eight shots behind leader Ricardo Gonzalez in the Johnnie Walker Classic at Gleneagles.

Shane Lowry holes out for birdie on his final hole. Peter Lawrie made six birdies in his first nine holes en route to a 67 that left him tied for 19th with Lowry on six under par at Gleneagles.

But it was the 26-year old Offaly man who was doing all the smiling as he finally made the chip in that counted after being denied hole-out No 11 in the Bridgestone Invitational and the US PGA.

In Akron, Lowry actually chipped in when on the green - he was stymied by the fringe - but the shot didn’t count as it officially went down as a putt.

Whether he insists on collecting is another matter but he will certainly be off on a break next week.

On Twitter, he wrote: “Another decent day. Always nice to finish with a chip in. Looking forward to a good weekend here at Gleneagles.

Big weekend coming up then it’s holiday time with @wendyirishonner.”

Affable Argentinian Ricardo Gonzalez ©Getty ImagesGonzalez fired a second consecutive 65 over the PGA Centenary Course with a sensational run of seven birdies in eight holes ensuring the big Argentinean a one stroke lead over Austria’s Bernd Wiesberger, with the English duo of Tommy Fleetwood and Mark Foster a further two strokes back heading into the weekend.

Gonzalez revealed after his round that he would dearly love to collect a fifth European Tour title to dedicate to his mother, father and father-in-law, who all passed away in the past two years.

“The last two years have been very difficult for me personally,” said the 43-year old, who raises cows, sheep and chickens on his farm in Rosario, getting up at 5.30am to feed them when he’s not on tour.

“I lost my mother and father last year and then my father in-in-law passed away last week so it would mean a lot for me to be able to win for them and to dedicate it to them.

“It would take a lot of pressure off me to be able to do that because it feels to me the right thing to do.

“I am feeling good on the golf course. I don’t think I have ever shot 65 two days in a row and everything has been working well. I suppose everything has to work well to make two scores like this.

“I am excited about the weekend and trying to keep doing exactly the same things as I have been doing for the past two days. If I can do that then I have a great chance to win again.”

Wiesberger, who has returned to Gleneagles for the first time since he was part of the five man play-off to decide the winner in 2011, when Thomas Björn took the title.

In the two years since that disappointing end to an otherwise great week, Wiesberger has matured into one of the most promising talents in world golf, winning twice in Korea and Austria.

Peter Lawrie, sporting some stubble, launches a drive. Picture: Stuart Adams www.golftourimages.comAsked if would take a final score of 22 under par after his second round 66, the 27 year old replied: “No, I can go lower than that. I’m trying my best to improve all the time and it is getting better with every step of the way.  

“I had to learn the tough way – losing here in a playoff a couple years ago, I tried to feed off that, and the last couple years have gone pretty well.”

The Austrian respectfully referred to European Ryder Cup skipper not as Paul or McGinley but “Mr McGinley.”

The Dubliner added a one under 71 to his opening 68 to share 29th on five under with Michael Hoey a shot further back after finishing with an eagle three at the 18th for a level par 72.

The cut fell at three under par with Simon Thornton making it on the mark thanks to an immaculate, five under 67.

Gareth Shaw shot 69 but missed out by two shots in his bid to win the cash he needs to grab a full European Tour card.

It was also a disappointing week for Damien McGrane, a tenuous 106th in the Race to Dubai, as he failed to make a birdie and took 32 putts in a 75 to miss the cut by four shots.

David Higgins, who is 180th in the money list, added a 75 to his first round 72 to finish on three over.

Complete second round scores from the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles (par 72)

130 R Gonzalez (Arg) 65 65,

131 B Wiesberger  (Aut) 65 66,

133 M Foster (Eng) 66 67, T Fleetwood  (Eng) 68 65,

134 B Koepka  (USA) 68 66,

135 F Andersson Hed (Swe) 68 67, T Jaidee (Tha) 66 69, B Rumford (Aus) 66 69,

136 G Havret  (Fra) 67 69, F Molinari (Ita) 69 67, C Lee (Sco) 69 67, O Fisher  (Eng) 66 70,

137 R Ramsay  (Sco) 69 68, A Quiros  (Esp) 70 67, S Henry  (Sco) 72 65, P Lawrie (Sco) 70 67, E Grillo (Arg) 71 66, J Parry (Eng) 71 66,

138 P Lawrie (Irl) 71 67, T Lewis (Eng) 67 71, S Lowry  (Irl) 68 70, E Pepperell (Eng) 72 66, R Fisher (Eng) 66 72, D Horsey (Eng) 70 68, G Maybin (Nir) 68 70, C Doak (Sco) 69 69, D Drysdale (Sco) 71 67, P Waring  (Eng) 75 63,

139 M Nixon (Eng) 68 71, M Wiegele  (Aut) 69 70, P McGinley (Irl) 68 71, S Dyson  (Eng) 72 67, J Lagergren (Swe) 68 71, J Sjöholm (Swe) 68 71, D Fichardt (RSA) 69 70, G Bourdy (Fra) 68 71, I Garrido (Esp) 66 73, A Hansen (Den) 70 69, S Gallacher (Sco) 71 68, T Olesen (Den) 71 68, M Both (Aus) 69 70, M Lundberg (Swe) 70 69,

140 G Boyd  (Eng) 71 69, J Campillo (Esp) 69 71, M Baldwin (Eng) 70 70, R Jacquelin (Fra) 69 71, M Hoey  (Nir) 68 72, R Cabrera-Bello (Esp) 71 69, M Tullo (Chi) 69 71, E De La Riva  (Esp) 68 72, G Stal  (Fra) 69 71, M Korhonen (Fin) 71 69, R Finch  (Eng) 73 67, S Hansen (Den) 69 71, M Madsen  (Den) 70 70, M Southgate  (Eng) 72 68, A Sullivan (Eng) 67 73,

141 S Thornton (Irl) 74 67, G Wright  (Wal) 69 72, L Jensen (Den) 70 71, R Santos  (Por) 69 72, S Wakefield (Eng) 70 71, E Kofstad (Nor) 71 70, A Levy (Fra) 70 71, M Jonzon (Swe) 71 70, D Willett  (Eng) 72 69, N Fenwick (Sco) 75 66, A Snobeck  (Fra) 72 69, J Olazábal (Esp) 73 68, D Howell (Eng) 71 70, T Levet (Fra) 71 70, J Morrison  (Eng) 72 69,

CUT

142 M Lampert (Ger) 70 72, B Stone (RSA) 71 71, R Green (Aus) 71 71, C Paisley  (Eng) 71 71, M Brier (Aut) 67 75, C Lloyd (Eng) 71 71, K Broberg (Swe) 67 75, R Wattel  (Fra) 70 72, P Larrazábal (Esp) 70 72, G Murray  (Sco) 72 70, O Floren  (Swe) 72 70, G Robertson (am) (Sco) 72 70,

143 P Hedblom (Swe) 73 70, S Arnold  (Aus) 75 68, M Carlsson  (Swe) 73 70, G Lockerbie  (Eng) 74 69, J Edfors (Swe) 73 70, M Warren (Sco) 71 72, B Åkesson (Swe) 72 71, A Hartø  (Den) 74 69, G Shaw (Nir) 74 69, A Marshall (Eng) 72 71, L Slattery (Eng) 72 71, A Tadini (Ita) 74 69,

144 A Kaleka  (Fra) 74 70, G Hutcheon (Sco) 72 72, S O’Hara  (Sco) 73 71, S Kjeldsen (Den) 69 75, C Del Moral (Esp) 76 68, D Brooks (Eng) 74 70, S Chowrasia (Ind) 71 73,

145 P Whiteford (Sco) 74 71, T Van Der Walt (RSA) 70 75, D McGrane (Irl) 70 75, E Goya (Arg) 72 73, R Coles (Eng) 73 72, P Uihlein  (USA) 73 72, R Karlberg  (Swe) 72 73, M Lafeber (Ned) 72 73, S Dodd (Wal) 74 71, M Tunnicliff (Eng) 74 71, J Lara (Esp) 73 72, P Erofejeff (Fin) 72 73, K Horne (RSA) 70 75,

146 T Björn (Den) 72 74, J Kingston (RSA) 71 75, S Jamieson  (Sco) 72 74, M Kieffer (Ger) 74 72, S Little (Eng) 71 75, J Hansen  (Den) 74 72, M Delpodio  (Ita) 74 72, J Quesne  (Fra) 76 70, S Webster (Eng) 76 70, C Macaulay  (Sco) 75 71, A Forsyth (Sco) 71 75, C Cévaër (Fra) 72 74,

147 A Dodt (Aus) 73 74, W Booth  (Sco) 78 69, C Kelly (Sco) 77 70, A Cañizares  (Esp) 72 75, R Rock (Eng) 77 70, D Stewart (Sco) 72 75, S Hend (Aus) 71 76, P Price (Wal) 70 77, D Higgins (Irl) 72 75, J Singh (Ind) 72 75,

148 D Patrick (Sco) 77 71, G Storm  (Eng) 77 71, S Benson (Eng) 74 74, P McKechnie (Sco) 73 75, H Porteous (RSA) 73 75, A Culverwell (am) (Sco) 73 75,

149 S Henderson (Sco) 75 74, R Bland (Eng) 75 74, D Orr (Sco) 75 74,

150 M Campbell (Nzl) 76 74, J Walters (RSA) 74 76, R McEvoy  (Eng) 72 78,

151 N Fasth (Swe) 77 74,

152 P Gal  (Cze) 76 76,

154 L Gagli  (Ita) 79 75, F Zanotti (Par) 75 79,

156 J Gonnet  (Fra) 78 78