Lowry's links skills leave him lurking in Abu Dhabi
Shane Lowry. Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America
SHANE LOWRY rolled in a ten-footer for a closing bogey but insisted he's right where he wants to be heading into the weekend in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
Giving free rein to his shot-making skills in a testing crosswind at Yas Links, the 2019 Open champion carded a two-under 70 to lie just three strokes behind Francesco Molinari (40) and his swashbuckling compatriot Guido Migliozzi.
Buoyed by brilliant putting, Molinari recovered from a front nine wobble and came home in six-under 30 for a second successive 67 to lead on 10-under with Migliozzi, who posted a 69 as overnight leader Luke Donald shot 75 to slip to 22nd on five-under alongside Séamus Power.
The Italians are one ahead of Australian Jason Scrivener, but Lowry is confident he has the control to contend tomorrow after carding a 70 in the breeze.
"I'm only three back going into the weekend and that's where I want to be," said Lowry, who is relishing the conditions. "I missed a couple of chances today and even a couple of short par putts. It could have been quite low today. But it was tricky out there. The greens were getting shiny in the afternoon. The wind picked up and the course started to play a little bit firmer, which is pretty good. It's nice to see it playing that way."
Lowry is tied for ninth on seven-under, but he's ranked 81st for strokes gained putting, which is one place behind a frustrated Power, who hit the ball well but struggled with the blade en route to a 73 that left him five adrift in 22nd.
Pádraig Harrington double-bogeyed his opening hole and a 73 left him tied 44th on three-under alongside Holywood rookie Tom McKibbin (20), who was three-under with two holes to go when play was suspended due to darkness.
On the LPGA Tour, Leona Maguire birdied three of her last five holes to add a three-under 69 to her opening 71 and move up to tied seventh in the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Florida.
The Co Cavan star is seven shots behind Canada's Brooke Henderson, who fired a six-under 66 to lead the winners-only event by four strokes from Nelly Korda, who shot 69, on 11-under par at Lake Nona.
At the 72-hole Final Stage of the Legends Tour Qualifying School in Turkey, Headfort's Brendan McGovern opened with a two-under 70 to share sixth place, two strokes behind leaders David Shacklady, Simon Griffiths and Carl Suneson in the race for five cards.
Lough Erne's Damian Mooney is 13th after a 71 with Waterville's David Higgins tied 32nd after a 73 and amateur Joe Lyons from Galway Golf Club joint 64th after a 77 on the Old Course at Gloria Golf Resort.
