Nothing could deter Shane Lowry, rain jacket tested for its maximum weatherproof protection, from the task at hand. Not the miserable, rainy conditions. Not the heavier air. Nor the wind. Nothing. From tee-to-green he went about his business with a sense of purpose – caddie Darren Reynolds providing the yardages and fiendishly drying out the grips of each club as required – as Lowry moved into contention in the Truist Championship at Philadelphia Cricket Club.
Lowry defiantly added a second round 65 to his opening 64 for a midway total of 129, one stroke off 36-hole leader Keith Mitchell, on the classic AW Tillinghast-designed Wissahickon course, to be entitled to eye another big tournament title, while Masters champion Rory McIlroy (the defending champion, winner last year when it was known as the Wells Fargo) carded a 67 for 133 to also move into the mix of this $20 million signature tournament on the PGA Tour.
McIlroy has claimed three wins already in what is developing into a stellar season for the Northern Irishman on the PGA Tour but Lowry’s last win actually came in partnership with McIlroy at last year’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans. The Offalyman has not had an individual win since claiming the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in 2022.
As we know, though, Lowry is not one for backing off when the chance presents itself. His Claret Jug success in the 2019 Open along with WGCs and Rolex Series wins provide the proof, a reservoir of knowing what can be achieved. This is one of the PGA Tour’s $20 million signature events.
Shane Lowry moves into contention with superb 65 in Philadelphia
Shane Lowry makes strong start to Truist Championship with opening 64
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Lowry’s consistency this season on the PGA Tour – three top-10s, including a runner-up finish to McIlroy in the Pebble Beach pro-am – has seen him move to 12th on the official world rankings and 17th on the FedEx Cup standings.
In tough conditions, Lowry produced a round of six birdies and a lone bogey. Of the wind and rain which made a nuisance of itself for one and all, Lowry said: “I think I’m able to handle them probably better than a few people, but I don’t particularly like or enjoy going out and playing in these conditions.”
Lowry’s birdies came at the second (from eight feet), the fourth (from six feet) and the seventh (from four feet). On the par 3 eighth, playing 220 yards, he hit a five-iron to four feet and rolled in the putt and would turn in 31. His only blemish came on the 10th where his approach found greenside rough but he bounced back with a 50-footer for birdie on the 11th and sank a short putt for birdie on the Par 5 15th before finishing with a wonderful par save from heavy greenside rough on the 18th, playing the most difficult hole on the course.
McIlroy, for his part, also stuck to the task in a 67 that had three birdies and six bogeys in the difficult conditions, his round moving him up the leaderboard to within touching distance headed into the weekend but also with one eye ahead to next week’s US PGA at Quail Hollow, a course at which he has won more times – four – than anywhere else in his career.
“I felt like today was another sort of scrappy one. I made what I feel are some uncharacteristic mistakes compared to how I’ve played the majority of the year. So just got to try to iron that out over the next couple of days, try to shoot a couple of scores without as many bogeys on the card. If I can do that and just tidy it up a little bit, I feel like I’ll be in a good spot heading into next week,” said McIlroy.
On the LPGA Tour, Leona Maguire carded a second round 75 to add to her opening 74 for a total of five-over-par 149 which had her on the wrong side of the cutline where American Andrea Lee, on eight-under, claimed the 36-holes clubhouse lead.
