Lowry just one back in RBC Heritage after stunning 65
Shane Lowry
SHANE Lowry will have a chance to end his 1,000-day wait for a win after firing a six-under 65 to go into the final round of the RBC Heritage just a shot behind leader Harold Varner III.
The Clara man has been in superb form this year, and after finishing a brilliant tied third in the Masters, he's now on track to win for the sixth time since he broke through as an amateur to win the Irish Open at Baltray in 2009.
The world number 30 complained his iron play let him down at times at Augusta National, but it was superb at Harbour Town Golf Links, where he tops the strokes gained approach statistics after making eight birdies and two bogeys in round three to share second place with overnight leader Patrick Cantlay and South Africa's Erik Van Rooyen on 10-under par.
"It was pretty good," Lowry said after knocking in a nine footer, his longest successful putt of the day, for a closing birdie. "I feel like, without complaining too much, 65 is the worst score I could have shot.
"I hit the ball unbelievable today, and I didn't really hole anything. That putt on the last is probably as long as I've holed all day.
"It was getting quite frustrating for a while, but I hit it in pretty close a couple of times and made a couple of nice birdies. It was really nice to birdie the last and get myself into double digits for the tournament."
Lowry started the day five strokes behind Cantlay after shooting a one-over 72 in tough, breezy conditions on Friday.
There was no more than a 10 to 15 mph breeze in round three and the Offaly man made hay, opening his account by knocking in a seven-footer at the second.
He three-putted the fourth from 20 feet but hit a 197-yard approach to six feet at the par-three fourth, then got up and down from short of the par-five fifth for another birdie.
He would drop another shot at the sixth, missing a five-footer for par. But after missing a seven-footer for birdie at the seventh, he holed from eight feet after another stellar approach from 180 yards at the eighth.
Out in two-under, he hit approach shots inside three feet at the 10th and 11th to go four-under for the day and while he missed eight footers for birdie at the 12th and 13th, he fired a 98-yard wedge to three feet at the 15th before picking up another shot at the last.
Lowry has had seven top-24 finishes in eight starts this year, losing out by a shot as he finished runner-up to Sepp Straka in the Honda Classic before putting on a tremendous performance in the Masters, where an early triple bogey at the fourth killed his chances of challenging Scottie Scheffler.
"It's a good thing, but it's frustrating as well," he said of his form and his bid for his first win for two years and eight months. "I feel like I could have shot two or three or four better today. But look, I would have taken 65 before I went out. Another Sunday in the position I want to be in, and I'm looking forward to it.
"It was very gettable today. There were a lot of chances out there. Yesterday was just kind of one of those days where you had to batten down the hatches and make pars and try and make the odd birdie when you could, but it wasn't a day for firing at flags or anything like that.
"Whereas today, I felt like any time you got a good number, you could really go at the flags, and I did, and I hit some good shots."
As for his form, he said: "Yeah, it's amazing. My confidence is pretty high, obviously. I've been thereabouts a lot of Sundays this year so far. The one thing that let me down at the Masters last week was my iron play, and I'm probably not far off No. 1 in the field this week in strokes gained approach.
"It's funny how this game works. I putted great at the Masters. I didn't putt great today. I'm just hoping it will all click into gear tomorrow, and hopefully, I'll have a chance coming down the back nine."
Varner III carded a bogey-free, eight-under 63 as the leaders made the turn to claim the clubhouse lead on 11-under par.
He finished the day a shot ahead of Lowry, van Rooyen (67) and Cantlay, who birdied the 18th to card a one-under 70.
However, there are 20 players within four shots of the lead with Hudson Swafford (66), Straka (67), Matt Kuchar (67) and Aaron Wise (68) tied for fifth, two behind on nine-under.
Portrush's Graeme McDowell, who was champion in Hilton Head in 2013, recovered from his second-round 76 by making five birdies in a bogey-free 66 to move up to tied 30th on five-under, just six shots off the pace.
"Back on the up with a gritty and determined 5 under third round," McDowell said on social media. "Looking to show the same character tomorrow."
