Lowry looks to positives on week off as McIlroy eyes world number one return
Shane Lowry failed to land an invitation for this week's $20 million AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but he's upbeat about preparations for the Masters after making a spectacular albatross two in the Farmers Insurance Open.
The former Open champion holed a five-wood from 256 yards at the 543-yard sixth in a two-under 70, leaving him tied 25th on six-under at Torrey Pines.
He finished seven shots behind Mathieu Pavon —one of 10 players to earn a PGA Tour card via the DP World Tour rankings last year—who became the first Frenchman to win on the PGA Tour when he birdied the last for a 69 and a one-stroke win over Dane Nicolai Hojgaard in just his third start as a rookie.
Lowry, who is a tenuous 48th in the world, can have no complaints about his absence from the field for Pebble Beach (where Rory McIlroy can return to world number one) after failing to make the top 50 in last year's FedExCup, who qualified automatically for all eight Signature Events this term.
While he'll write to sponsors, he can only be uneasy about his chances after the four invitations for this week's limited field event went to world number 200 Maverick McNealy and PGA Tour Policy Board members Webb Simpson, Peter Malnati and Adam Scott.
"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," said Lowry, whose next two events will be the Waste Management Phoenix Open and the Cognizant (formerly Honda) Classic.
"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. Ultimately, that's my main goal for the first four months of the year.
"This week was a nearly week for me. I feel like there's a lot of good stuff coming. I'm pretty happy overall."
As for that albatross, which came just a week after he holed out from 133 yards for a closing eagle two in The American Express, Lowry didn't see it go in.
"Yeah, that was obviously the highlight of the week," he said. "Five-wood, it was a perfect number and I hit a nice shot… 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.
"Albatross today and I holed out on the last hole last week. I mean, I'm quite a conservative player, but yeah, I just get lucky every now and then. Luck of the Irish!"
Meanwhile, Denmark's Thorbjorn Olesen (34) claimed his eighth DP World Tour win with a six-stroke victory over Rasmus Hojgaard in the Ras Al Khaimah Championship at Al Hamra Golf Club.
His four-stroke overnight lead over Højgaard disappeared when a double bogey on the second cancelled out birdies on the first and third and his compatriot birdied four of his first seven holes.
But a three-shot swing at the par-five eighth, where he made an eagle to Hojgaard's bogey, gave him a three-shot lead, and he went on to shoot 67 to win by six shots on 27-under.
“This is very special. Standing here with Cooper (son) makes it a little more special,” Olesen said. “It was still a battle out there. It got close and you have one of the most talented players right behind you.
“I knew it was going to be tough, we were tied for the lead very quickly. But I played some nice golf coming in and holed the right putts at the right time.
"I didn’t get off to the best of starts. You’re always going to have some bad stretches in tournaments.
“I had it there and I was just trying to be patient and hopefully start hitting some good shots. That five wood on eight was very special and being able to hole the putt also put me in a good position. It was still a battle.”
Tom McKibbin also shot 67 to finish tied 16th on 14-under for his second successive top-16 finish this season, while Pádraig Harrington, still struggling for full fitness after his bout of pneumonia, shot 75 to finish 70th on two-under.
At the LPGA Drive On Championship in Florida, Leona Maguire closed with a two-under 69 to finish 31st on level par with Stephanie Meadow tied 49th in four over after a 73.
Nelly Korda secured her first win of the 2024 season and the ninth of her career when she beat Lydia Ko with a par on the second playoff hole at Bradenton Country Club.
The LPGA writes:
Taking a four-stroke lead into her final round on Sunday, Korda stayed steady through her first four holes before recording a bogey on No. 5, allowing the field to creep back into contention.
It would be until No. 14 that Korda would card her second of three bogeys on the round, following that up with a double bogey on the par-3, No. 15. Her third bogey of the round on the 16th dropped her out of the lead and placed her at eight-under par with two holes to play.
Thanks to an eagle on No. 17, Ko placed herself in prime position to secure the win with a three-stroke lead heading into No. 18. Not without the dramatics, Korda also recorded an eagle of her own to have a chance at a playoff, needing a birdie on the final hole.
Both Korda and Ko were the only players to make eagles on hole 17 on the final round of play. After her drive on the 18th, Korda knocked her approach shot within inches of the cup on No. 18 and tapped in the birdie putt to force a playoff.
The duo replayed No. 18 and on their approach shots, Korda set herself up nicely with a long look at birdie while Ko hit hers errantly to the left off the green.
A great up and down from Ko, a missed birdie putt from Korda and a couple of pars set the two back up to the 18th tee for another playoff hole.
After their approach shots, the roles were reversed and Ko had a chance at a long birdie and Korda was off the back of the green. Ko left her birdie putt short, and Korda chipped on about to about three feet from the cup. Ko lipped out her par putt and tapped in the bogey before Korda sealed her hometown win, knocking down the three-footer.
“Every win has a story,” said Korda. “This one was definitely -- just with the struggles of last year and just with today as well, I thought I completely lost it.
“Being in my hometown and having the hometown support was incredible. I didn't think this many people would show up.
“Even on the first day, Thursday, the amount of people that were out here supporting was incredible. I couldn't have done it without all their positive energy.”
