“It was a perfect number” - Lowry enjoys “luck of the Irish” with albatross at Torrey Pines
Shane Lowry has a great feeling about his game and his build-up for the Masters after holing out for a spectacular albatross two en route to a top-25 finish in the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.
The former Open champion got off to a poor start with back-to-back bogeys and was still two-over playing the 543-yard sixth as he followed a two at the third with another bogey at the fourth.
But his mood changed when his 256-yard five-wood just carried the bunker protecting the pin and ran into the hole for an albatross two.
The affable Offaly man high-fived caddie Darren Reynolds and the walking scorers and went on to card a two-under 70 that left him tied 24th in the clubhouse on six-under.
It was just the boost Lowry needed after he missed the cut in The American Express by one shot on his 2024 debut last week despite holing his second shot at his final hole for birdie-birdie-eagle finish
“I got off to such a bad start today, me and Patrick and Aaron. We got off to an awful start,” Lowry said of a group that was a combined six over after two holes.
“And then I said to them walking off the sixth tee it can only get better from here, Aaron.
“And then yeah, five wood, it was a perfect number, and I hit a nice shot. It looked good in the air but looked like it might be a yard short, and it just got up and then when you see it down (on the green), you can't see where it's going.
“You’re just waiting for the crowd's reaction, and they put their hands up in the air. So it's pretty cool. It was kind of a bit surreal.
“It's hard to believe I was one under for six holes, having started the way I did and playing the way I was, but it kind of got me going for the day and I played all right after it.
“I mean, this week was a nearly week for me. I feel like there's a lot of good stuff coming. I'm pretty happy overall, but yeah, that was obviously the highlight of the week.
“You know, we had all started so bad that we needed something to happen and it got myself and Aaron going. Patrick had a bad day.”
Lowry was disappointed not to get a sponsor’s invitation for next week’s Signature Event, the $20 million AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
The four invitations went to Maverick McNealy and PGA Tour Policy Board members Webb Simpson, Peter Malnati and Adam Scott
But Lowry, who has to qualify or land invitations for upcoming Signature Events such as the Genesis Invitational at Riviera or the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, is happy he has a strong enough schedule to get his game sharp for the Masters.
His next two events are the Waste Management Phoenix Open and the Cognizant Classic in Palm Beach, though he plans to seek those invitations.
“Depending on what happens in the events I’m playing, I’ll send in some letters for some invites - probably with no reward - but we’ll be trying,” he said.
“Other than that, I’ll practice and do what I do on any off weeks. But I feel, you know, even though I'm not in some of the bigger events, I feel like I've set a schedule that gives me the best chance to go to Augusta in April and compete there.
“So that's what I want to do. Ultimately, that's my main goal for the first four months of the year.”
As for his albatross at the sixth, it was another memorable moment for a player who has also aced the infamous 17th at Sawgrass and the 16th on Sunday at Augusta National.
“Albatross today and I holed out on the last hole last week (from 133 yards),” he grinned.
“I mean, I'm quite a conservative player, but yeah, I just get lucky every now and then. Luck of the Irish!”
On the LPGA Tour, Nelly Korda finished eagle-birdie to lead the LPGA Drive On Classic by four shots on 13-under a 68.
Stephanie Meadow’s one over 72 left her tied 45th on one over with Leona Maguire a shot further back in tied 57th after a 73.
