Lowry hangs tough as Augusta puts stars in survival mode

Shane Lowry of Ireland chips to the green on the No. 13 hole during practice round 1 prior to the start of the 2024 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, Monday, April 8, 2024.

Shane Lowry produced a short game masterclass worthy of Tiger Woods to keep his Masters dream intact at a blustery Augusta National.

The former Open champion was level par for his round through 16 holes, tied for 32nd place, when play was suspended a few minutes before sunset.

With a capricious southwest wind gusting over 30 mph, it was a day to hang tough and Lowry did just that as he mixed two birdies with two bogeys and scrambled for par six times out of eight to remain very much in the mix.

The Offaly man got off to the ideal start, rolling in a 10-footer at the first for birdie.

But while he will be disappointed that he missed birdie chances in the six to 12 feet range at the second, third and 16th, his sensational short game helped finish the day on level par.

Not only did he make a seven-footer for par at the 10th and a six-footer at the 11th after missing both greens, he also got up and down for birdie from 70 yards at the 13th to get back to level for the day.

His front nine was hard work and his conservative tee shot at the fifth left him well over 200 yards for his approach, leading to a bunkered second and his first bogey of the day.

The wind was a huge challenge for the entire field, and while it caught Lowry out at the seventh, where he followed a booming 341-yard drive down the middle with a 111-yard wedge into the front bunker, he excelled through Amen Corner.

Like McIlroy, he would have expected to pick up shots at the 15th and 16th. But while he walked off both with pars, he has two holes remaining to move into the red.

Leader Bryson DeChambeau made eight birdies in a seven-under 65 to lead by a shot from world number one Scottie Scheffler and he’s expecting an equally tough test today.

“I knew it was going to be a tough day today with the wind and even tomorrow,” DeChambeau said. “So a lot of patience is required around this golf course and making sure you're just stroking on your line, putting it good, hitting good iron shots and driving it well.

“In order to win major championships, you've got to; especially out here, you've got to do everything well.”

Rory McIlroy is lurking on one-under after a 71 — his best opening round for six years — and feels he’s in the right frame of mind to play the patience game.

“I think it's a validation of more of my mindset coming in here,” he said of his 71. “And yeah, maybe a little bit bit of the preparation.

"I didn't feel like I was on my best at all out there today. But I was able to manage my game and get it around.  

"You know, keep it under par, which was good because in previous years, I haven't been able to do that. And then you're really trying to play catch up and trying to play catch up on this course is difficult.”

As is so often the case, the Masters will likely prove to be a three-day survival test followed by fireworks on Sunday, and Scheffler looks like the man to beat after yet another bogey-free round.

“I think limiting your mistakes, obviously it’s a lot easier said than done,” Scheffler said. “But, yeah, limiting your mistakes is important. It's important to keep that momentum of the round going.  

“And I felt like today, when I was in some challenging spots on some tough holes, did a good job of pitching it up there nice and close.”

Twenty-seven players return to the course this morning to complete their opening rounds.

They include five-time champion Tiger Woods (48), who was one-under for 13 holes and scrambling like Houdini when play was suspended for the day.

Not only did he tet up and down from sand at the 10th, he pitched stone dead from short of the 11th before getting up and down from the pine needles beyond the 12th.

"The wind was all over the place,” said Woods, who has 23 holes to play today. "It was one of the most tricky days that I've ever been a part of.

"It was hard to get a beat not only on what direction it was going, but the intensity, and it kept switching all over the place, and then you had to -- the timing was affecting putts on the greens.

"It was a very difficult day."