Lowry six back as Harrington's fightback is undone by closing double
Pádraig Harrington. Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America
Shane Lowry chiselled out a level par 70 to trail early leader Kurt Kitayama by six shots in the Honda Classic as Pádraig Harrington's gutsy comeback was undone with a closing double-bogey.
The 59-year old Dubliner found water from the tee at the 12th (his third) and bunkers from the tee at the 14th and 15th and ran up bogeys to find himself three-over through just six holes before fighting back.
After getting through the rest of the Bear Trap unscathed, the three-time major winner made a seven-footer for a birdie at the 559-yard 18th, then rolled in a 16 footer for another gain at the third before all his good work was undone at the 404-yard ninth.
The two-time Honda Classic winner hit his tee shot 30 yards left into water, found the green in three but three-putted from 40 feet for a double-bogey six and a three-over 73.
Ranked 118th from tee to green, he was tied 104th, nine shots behind American Kitayama, who made seven birdies in a six-under 64 to lead by a stroke in the clubhouse from 2011 champion Rory Sabbatini, 2015 runner-up Daniel Berger and Chris Kirk
As for Lowry, the Offaly man opened with seven pars, then failed to extricate himself from a bunker at the 17th at the first attempt and dropped a shot.
He birdied the 18th to turn in level par but hit a poor tee shot left at the 526-yard third, chipped out and sprayed his third shot wide of the green before taking six.
He remained patient, however, and birdied the eighth from 11 feet to sign for a level-par 70 that left him inside tied 45th.
Kitayama was more than pleased with his 64 on one of the most challenging courses on the PGA Tour.
"I think anything under par out here is really good," said the 29-year old, who won twice on the DP World Tour before graduating to the PGA Tour via the Korn Ferry Tour top-50 last season.
"I played Q-school in 2015 here and then two years ago, I got an exemption (finishing tied 47th). Had a little bit of experience, which is nice, because I think coming in here for the first time, I think it would be really tough."
Kitayama birdied the 10th, 11th and 12th for the perfect start, bogeyed the 14th but then birdied four holes in a row from the third.
"I drove it well, hit 14 greens," he said. "I think that's really important out here. Then my putter was pretty hot in those birdie stretches. Everything felt really solid."
