SHANE LOWRY ENDURED struggles on his back nine to finish with a 72 in the second round of the PGA Championship today, while Seamus Power fired a 69 at Southern Hills in Oklahoma.
After yesterday’s opening 70, Lowry began impressively today with birdies on the par-five 13th and par-three 14th after starting his round on the 10th. Five straight pars followed to leave him two-under for the tournament and only three shots off overnight leader Rory McIlroy.
But Lowry’s round then began to unravel after a bogey on the 2nd preceded a costly double bogey on the 4th, a hole where he needed two attempts to escape from a greenside bunker.
The 2019 Open champion was unable to pick up shots in his closing holes and another bogey arrived on the par-three 8th. It leaves him at two-over for the tournament after a back nine of 39 and he is eight shots off leader Justin Thomas in a tie for 46th.
It was a better day for Waterford’s Seamus Power, making his PGA Championship debut and on track to make the cut in only his second Major appearance after his Masters debut last month.
Power had carded a 71 yesterday before today’s 69 sees him at level par for the tournament in a tie for 23rd. He got an early boost with a birdie on the 2nd before handing that shot back at the 3rd. Then Power’s back nine commenced with a birdie on the 10th after he sank a 35-foot putt and another followed on the 13th.
He was unable to tidy up a five foot putt for par on the 15th but that bogey was the only blemish in his remaining holes as Power closed out with three pars.
The rest of the Irish contingent will be in the spotlight for their second rounds this evening, Padraig Harrington (+7) is out at 7.31pm and Rory McIlroy (-5) is off at 7.36pm.
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