Lowry set for Scheffler showdown as charging McIlroy lurks at Bay Hill
Shane Lowry produced one of his most mature and tactically astute performances to share the lead with world number one Scottie Scheffler heading into the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.
On a day when Rory McIlroy finally moved into top gear and raced home in 30 to close to within four shots of the lead after a 68, Lowry looked like a man on a mission as the cream came to the top in Orlando.
Just a week after he failed to show the patience required when holding a share of the 54-hole lead in the Cognizant Classic and ended up tied fourth, the Clara man dug deeper than ever to give himself a chance to win one of the most prestigious titles on the PGA Tour.
One of six halfway leaders, he matched Scheffler by making birdies at the 16th and 17th to card a two-under 70 on another windy day and clinch his place in the final group for the second week running.
With Will Zalatoris making two double bogeys in his last four holes to drop from 11-under to seven-under, McIlroy’s sensational back nine left him tied for eighth on five-under with the top-10 on the leaderboard covered by just four shots.
Lowry (36) and Scheffler lead by a shot from US Open champion Wyndham Clark on nine-under with just two back in fourth with Hideki Matsuyama and Russell Henley.
Another epic finish beckons and Lowry admits being paired with the world number one on Sunday only adds to the challenge.
“Yeah, it does,” the world number 54 said after a round where he rolled with the punches and then produced a double fist pump after rolling in a 32-footer for his sixth birdie of the day at the 178-yard 17th.
“Look, these are the reasons you get up out of bed in the morning, to get out and compete against the best players in the world.
“Yeah, I'm excited. I'm looking forward to it. I'm just going to go out and do my thing and, look, two weeks in a row in the final group on Sunday, hopefully I can do a better job than I did last Sunday.
“Regardless of what happens tomorrow, I think it's significant progress for me over the last few weeks.
“Got great stretch of tournaments coming up; it's nice to be playing some good golf.”
Lowry hasn’t won on the PGA Tour since he lifted the Claret Jug in 2019.
He missed last year's FedEx Cup playoffs and needed a sponsor’s invitation this week for what is his first start in a signature event.
But he’s achieving his early season goal, which was to get sharp for the Masters and with The Players to come next week, he’s playing himself into form at precisely the right time.
According to statistician Justin Ray, he’s the first player to hold 54-hole lead or co-lead in back-to-back weeks on the PGA Tour since Lucas Glover last year.
And while he has his work cut out to claim his first win since the 2022 BMW PGA, the conditions suit his strong tee-to-green game, even if putting is treacherous on wind-exposed greens.
“I obviously holed a nice one on 17, but I didn't feel that comfortable with it all day,” Lowry said.
“It's hard out there. You're leaving those 25-footers for birdie; you're just trying to get it dead because those 4-footers on those greens are quite difficult, especially when it's windy.
“I always say, when you play in windy conditions, the hardest part of it is putting.”
McIlroy made putting look easy as he followed bogeys at the seventh and eighth with six back-nine birdies.
He started his magical run by becoming the first player to drive the 10th, blasting a 365-yard drive onto the front edge.
He went on to two putt for birdie and rolled in putts at the 12th, 13th, 16th, 17th and 18th to get within four of the lead in five-under-par.
But admitted that chasing down the leaders will depend on conditions.
He’s no stranger to come-from-behind wins, but he knows it won’t be easy at a punishing Bay Hill, where firm greens and thick rough punish errant shots
“Depends what the conditions are like,” McIlroy said of his chances of adding to his 2018 win at Bay Hill, where he finished tied second last year
“You start chasing on this golf course, it can bite you pretty quickly.
“You start taking some more aggressive lines, start going at some pins with these firm greens and short siding yourself.
“You’ve got to pick your spots and still be patient. I think the wind's going to be out of a different direction again tomorrow, so the wind or the golf course is going to play quite different to what it was today. We'll see what happens.”
It was also a good day for West Waterford’s Seamus Power, who chipped in at the 18th for a closing birdie and a bogey-free 69 that left him tied for 25th on one-under-par.
