SHANE LOWRY is hoping the wind gets up at the weekend as he looks to continue building up his confidence for the Masters in the Valspar Championship in Tampa.

The in-form Offaly star wants to peak at Augusta, and while a three-under 68 left him tied 25th on five-under-par, he was frustrated not to get more out of his game.

"I am playing well, but it's quite frustrating to be only five-under, to be honest," said Lowry after his bogey-free round, which eventually left him nine shots behind runaway leader Matthew NeSmith at Innisbrook Resort's rain-softened Copperhead Course.

Scores

"I am playing good golf, and I have a huge stretch of tournaments coming up, and I feel comfortable with my game, so I am happy with where it's at.

"I just feel I should be better than five-under now, but I'm trying to look at the bigger picture and everything going forward, and obviously, I want to have a good weekend this weekend.

"Everybody knows what we have coming up in the next few weeks, and I am happy with where my game is at."

Graeme McDowell shot 71 but missed the three-under-par cut by five shots on two-over-par as the other member of Lowry's three-ball, newly-minted Ryder Cup skipper Henrik Stenson shot 69 to get in on the mark.

Last week's rain has taken the sting out of Innisbrook and NeSmith took advantage, firing a 10-under 61 to equal Pádraig Harrington’s nine-year-old course record and lead by two shots from Canada’s Adam Hadwin, who shot 66, on 14-under par.

"The course is just playing a bit soft, and I've only played here once before, and it's not the Tampa I have watched on TV," said Lowry, who has had six top-24 finishes in a row, including two top-10s.

"It's playing quite soft, and it's quite tough to short-side yourself, whereas, in previous years, it's been very tricky around here. So, I am hoping the wind gets up a bit this afternoon and dries out the course a little bit, and hopefully, we get a bit more wind at the weekend."

Scott Stallings shot 66 to share third place on 11-under with defending champion Sam Burns with Justin Thomas just three behind after a second successive 66.

Collin Morikawa is 10 shots off the lead on four-under after a 70 while Viktor Hovland, who can also become world No 1 with a win tomorrow, made the cut on the mark after he knocked in a 35 footer for a two at the 17th and parred the last to shoot 70.

Weather: Partly cloudy. High of 82. Wind SW 10-15 mph, gusting to 22 mph.

 

36-hole cut: 72 players at 3-under 139 from a field of 142 professionals and two amateurs.

 

Second-Round Leaderboard

Matthew NeSmith             67-61—128 (-14)

Adam Hadwin                    64-66—130 (-12)

Sam Burns                          64-67—131 (-11)

Scott Stallings                    65-66—131 (-11)

Justin Thomas                    66-66—132 (-10)

 

Things to Know

• Seeking his first career PGA TOUR title, Matthew NeSmith birdies six of his last nine holes en route to tying the Valspar Championship’s low 18-hole score of 10-under 61 (Padraig Harrington/R1/2012)

• NeSmith is the only player bogey-free through 36 holes

• 2017 Valspar Championship winner Adam Hadwin sits solo-second in bid to become the event’s fourth multiple winner

• Sam Burns on track to join Paul Casey (2018-19) as only players to successfully defend a Valspar Championship title

• Justin Thomas opens with consecutive rounds of 66 or better for the seventh time on TOUR; has converted for the win on 3-of-6 previous occasions

 

Second-Round Lead Notes

6            Second-round leaders/co-leaders to win the Valspar Championship (most recent: Sam Burns, 2021)

6            Second-round leaders/co-leaders to win on TOUR in 2021-22 (most recent: Ryan Brehm, Puerto Rico Open)

 

Matthew NeSmith (1st/-14)

Age 28 (September 29, 1993)

FedExCup 128

OWGR 279

Starts – wins – top-10s in PGA TOUR career 71-0-3

Starts – wins – top-10s in 2021-2022 season 14-0-0

Starts – wins – top-10s at Valspar Championship 1-0-0

 

• South Carolina native made eight birdies, six of which came on his inward nine (Nos. 1-9), and an eagle (Par-5 14th) en route to tying the tournament’s low 18-hole score of 10-under 61 (Padraig Harrington/R1/2012)

• Marks the lowest round on the PGA TOUR since Will Zalatoris posted 11-under 61 in round two of the 2022 American Express; marks the 15th score of 61 or better this season

• Previous-best 18-hole score on TOUR: 63 on two occasions (most recent: 2021 WM Phoenix Open/R1)

• With his 67-61 start, is the only player bogey-free through 36 holes

• Highlighted by a 39’ 6” birdie at No. 4, needed 27 putts to sink a total of 121’ 9” of putts (45’ 4” in R1)

• Best 36-hole position prior to this week: T3/2020 Farmers Insurance Open (T30)

• Making his second start in the Valspar Championship: T21/2021

• Best finish in 14 starts this season: T14/Shriners Children’s Open

• Best of three top-10 finishes in 71 TOUR starts: T6/2020 Puerto Rico Open

• Third-year TOUR member won the 2019 Albertsons Boise Open on the Korn Ferry Tour

 

Additional Player Notes

• Coming off a T9 at last week’s PLAYERS Championship, this week’s 18-hole co-leader and 2017 Valspar Championship winner Adam Hadwin (2nd/-12) followed an opening-round 7-under 64 with a 5-under 66 in round two; with a win, would become the event’s fourth multiple winner (K.J. Choi, Retief Goosen, Paul Casey)

• Making his 11th consecutive start in the Valspar Championship, Scott Stallings (T3/-11) followed a 6-under 65 in round one with a bogey-free 66 in round two; has made one bogey through 36 holes (par-4 third/R1); best of 10 previous starts was solo-third in his first start of 2011; a win this week would be his fourth on TOUR and first since the 2014 Farmers Insurance Open

• Sam Burns (T3/-11) seeks to join Paul Casey (2019) as the only players to successfully defend a title at the Valspar Championship; in search of third PGA TOUR title (2021 Valspar Championship, 2021 Sanderson Farms Championship)

• Beginning his round on No. 10, Justin Thomas (5th/-10) reached 7-under par on the day through 14 holes, before taking a double-bogey-six at No. 7 en route to a second-consecutive 5-under 66; marks the seventh occasion to post consecutive rounds of 66 or better in the first two rounds on TOUR; has converted for the win on three of the previous six occasions (most recent: 2018 World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational); making his fifth start in the Valspar Championship (T13/2021, MC/2017, T18/2016, T10/2015)

• Webb Simpson (T7/-8) seeks a fourth top-10 finish in his 11th Valspar Championship start (T8/2018, T10/2012, 2nd/2011); a win this week would mark his eighth on the PGA TOUR and first since the 2020 RBC Heritage

• Making his 300th start on the PGA TOUR, Dustin Johnson sits T38 at 4-under 138 in his fifth start in the event (T48/2021, T6/2019, MC/2010, MC/2008)

• In search of his fourth career PGA TOUR title and first since the 2017 RBC Canadian Open, 18-hole co-leader Jhonattan Vegas followed a 7-under 64 in round one with an even-par 71 and sits T10 at 7-under 135

• Joseph Bramlett (T20/-6) holed his approach shot at the par-4 18th from 101 yards; joins Robin Freeman (2000/R1) as players to make eagle at No. 18 in tournament history