SHANE LOWRY IS in a tie for second on three-under after the opening round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, with Rory McIlroy a short further back on two-round.
Both players made promising starts as they played together at the signature event on the PGA Tour in Florida, but they both dropped shots on the par-four 18th for a disappointing finish.
In contrast Wyndham Clark birdied the last, one of three shots he picked up in the last six holes, to post the lowest round of the day, a 67 that sees him take a two-shot lead.
Lowry was top of the leaderboard on his own after a brilliant eagle on the par-five 16th but had to settle for an opening round of 69 after that closing bogey. He joins Keegan Bradley, Corey Conners, and Christiaan Bezuidenhout, in the group that are two shots behind Clark.
Lowry carded one birdie and eight pars on his front nine, before his back nine featured bogeys on the 10th and 18th, with two birdes and an eagle packed in between.
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Lowry admitted afterwards he had benefited from more benign afternoon conditions after watching the windswept morning with an increasing sense of dread.
“It didn’t look much fun out there — I wasn’t particularly looking forward to my round,” Lowry said. “But I think we got favorable conditions. I was pretty happy with my result.”
Rory McIlroy in action in the first round. Alamy Stock Photo
Alamy Stock Photo
McIlroy’s round was one of fluctuating fortunes. He went out in 35 after three birdies and two bogeys on the front nine. Then his back nine also featured three birdies and two bogeys.
Nevertheless, the four-time major winner was pleased with his start.
“I think the guys that teed off a little later got a little bit of a reprieve,” McIlroy said.
“It was still breezy, but not quite as tough as the guys got it this morning. Yeah, couple under was a good start.”
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler, meanwhile, was lurking a shot adrift of McIlroy in a heavyweight cluster of four players on one under which includes Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay.
World number one Scheffler admitted he was taken aback by cooler temperatures and the early wind lashing the course.
“This morning when I walked out of the house it was a lot colder than I anticipated — I had to go back and grab a few extra layers,” said Scheffler, adding that the contrasting conditions of fairways and greens had also proved challenging.
“A lot of the fairways are really soft, but the greens are like concrete — so it can be really challenging to get the ball close to the hole,” he said.
Elsewhere Dubliner Max Kennedy carded a five-under 67 in the opening round of the Puerto Rico Open. He is in a tie for 19th, five shots behind leader Kevin Roy.
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Shane Lowry in tie for second at Bay Hill, Rory McIlroy a shot further back
LAST UPDATE | 7 Mar
SHANE LOWRY IS in a tie for second on three-under after the opening round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, with Rory McIlroy a short further back on two-round.
Both players made promising starts as they played together at the signature event on the PGA Tour in Florida, but they both dropped shots on the par-four 18th for a disappointing finish.
In contrast Wyndham Clark birdied the last, one of three shots he picked up in the last six holes, to post the lowest round of the day, a 67 that sees him take a two-shot lead.
Lowry was top of the leaderboard on his own after a brilliant eagle on the par-five 16th but had to settle for an opening round of 69 after that closing bogey. He joins Keegan Bradley, Corey Conners, and Christiaan Bezuidenhout, in the group that are two shots behind Clark.
Lowry carded one birdie and eight pars on his front nine, before his back nine featured bogeys on the 10th and 18th, with two birdes and an eagle packed in between.
Lowry admitted afterwards he had benefited from more benign afternoon conditions after watching the windswept morning with an increasing sense of dread.
“It didn’t look much fun out there — I wasn’t particularly looking forward to my round,” Lowry said. “But I think we got favorable conditions. I was pretty happy with my result.”
McIlroy’s round was one of fluctuating fortunes. He went out in 35 after three birdies and two bogeys on the front nine. Then his back nine also featured three birdies and two bogeys.
Nevertheless, the four-time major winner was pleased with his start.
“I think the guys that teed off a little later got a little bit of a reprieve,” McIlroy said.
“It was still breezy, but not quite as tough as the guys got it this morning. Yeah, couple under was a good start.”
Defending champion Scottie Scheffler, meanwhile, was lurking a shot adrift of McIlroy in a heavyweight cluster of four players on one under which includes Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay.
World number one Scheffler admitted he was taken aback by cooler temperatures and the early wind lashing the course.
“This morning when I walked out of the house it was a lot colder than I anticipated — I had to go back and grab a few extra layers,” said Scheffler, adding that the contrasting conditions of fairways and greens had also proved challenging.
“A lot of the fairways are really soft, but the greens are like concrete — so it can be really challenging to get the ball close to the hole,” he said.
Elsewhere Dubliner Max Kennedy carded a five-under 67 in the opening round of the Puerto Rico Open. He is in a tie for 19th, five shots behind leader Kevin Roy.
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Golf Rory McIlroy Shane Lowry