SHANE Lowry is excited about his game heading in the WGC Dell Technologies Match Play and the Masters after racking up his fifth top-15 from six starts this year.

The Offaly man made four birdies and a bogey in a third successive, three-under 68 in the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook to tie for 12th place (€144,714) on 11-under par.

The world number 36 has broken par in nine of his last 11 rounds and finished in the top 24 in all six starts this year.

Scores

He was ranked fourth for strokes gained from tee to green and third for approach play but while was somewhat frustrated not to contend for his first win since The Open in 2019, he heads for San Antonio on Tuesday with high hopes.

"The game's been pretty good, but it's been a frustrating week this week, especially when I am looking at 16 under leading out there now," said Lowry, who was denied his third top-10 finish of the year when he missed a six-footer for birdie at the 18th and ended up ranked 37th for strokes gained putting.

"I feel like I could've been a lot better, but my game is in great shape, and we've got a great stretch of tournaments coming up, so I'm really excited for the next run of events.

"I would have preferred if the course had played a bit firmer, like I did today, all week. That would've been nice, but I like it here, and I'll be back here.

“I really like the tournament. The course I think suits my eye. I’m getting used to playing in Florida now that I’m living down here now so yeah it’s all good.”

Lowry, who is projected to move to 33rd in the world, has yet to emerge from his group since the WGC Dell Match Play switched to round-robin play in 2015 but he hopes to recharge his batteries quickly for his final event before heading to Augusta National.

"The Match Play it's going to be good, but it's a quick turnaround," he added. “I feel like I have had no days off the last few weeks. It's been busy with The Players going into Monday and the matchplay with the Wednesday start.

"But I'm home tonight, and I'll fly out tomorrow and maybe take a bit of a chilled afternoon tomorrow and get going on Tuesday again and see what draw I get. Hopefully, I can go out and win my match on Wednesday and see where we go from there."
As for the tournament, Sam Burns (25) became the first player since Paul Casey in 2019 to successfully defend the title when he holed a 33 footer for birdie on the second extra hole (16th) to beat rookie Davis Riley (25) after carding a 69 to Riley’s 72 to force a play-off on 17-under. 

Burns was two clear with two to play but bogeyed the 17th and Riley, playing in the match behind, made birdie.

Justin Thomas and Matthew NeSmith also had their options but shot 70 and 71 respectively to finish a shot outside the playoff on 16-under.

In the playoff, Riley got up and down from sand on their return to the 18th to save par as Burns shaved the hole from 18 feet for the win.

But the Louisiana native made no mistake at the second extra hole, the dangerous 16th, where he drove in the left rough but found the green and made birdie to claim his third PGA Tour win and move to 10th in the world as Riley bunkered his approach from the middle of the fairway.

According to VC606, Séamus Power was expected to remain 48th in the world with one week to go before the cut off for the Masters.