Shane Lowry showed intent, that he wasn’t at the Tour Championship simply to make up the numbers, as a sizzling second round 63 for a midway total of seven-under-par 133 catapulted him up the leaderboard in the FedEx Cup finale, with its $10 million payday to the winner at East Lake Country Club in Atlanta.
The Offalyman’s move – jumping 16 places to tied-seventh – featured a back nine run of six birdies to come home in 29 strokes, including a monster putt from 97 feet, six inches on the 14th, as he headed into the weekend alongside a group including Rory McIlroy, six shots adrift of halfway leaders Tommy Fleetwood and Russell Henley.
With the second round’s tee-times pushed forward due to the threat of a storm in Georgia, Lowry was among those who made the most of the benign conditions, although world number one Scottie Scheffler cut a frustrated figure for much of his second round as his putter went cold until a near hole-out for birdie on the 18th for a 69 (for eight-under 132) lifted his spirits and left him in sixth, five behind the pacesetters.
For Lowry, playing in the season-ending megabucks event for a second straight year, the ending of the staggered starting scores of previous seasons provided a lift.
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“I think everyone at my level when they heard about the rule changes were pretty happy, because that means we don’t have to give Scottie and Rory, and whoever else is at the top, shots. This game is hard enough without giving Scottie Scheffler shots. I was pretty happy because then I sort of think to myself, ‘well, I can win the FedExCup now’.”
Lowry revealed a pep talk from caddie Darren Reynolds on the ninth hole, at which point he was one under on his round, provided the spark he needed.
“Darren said to me going down nine, ‘just because everyone else is making birdies doesn’t mean you need to go after every flag; just play your own game, do your own thing’. And that’s what I did on the back nine. Freed me up a little bit but it is amazing what happens when a few putts start going in.”
McIlroy carded a 67 to add to his opening 66 to also sit on 133.
“I feel like I didn’t get the most out of my round, but at the same time, I’m definitely hitting the ball better than I did last week. Some positives. I’m a few shots further behind than I’d like going into the weekend but pleased with the improvements that I’ve made from last week to this week,” said the Northern Irishman.
Fleetwood, looking for his first win on the PGA Tour in his 163rd tournament, shot a second-round 63 for 127 to be later joined by Henley on that mark.
In the Canadian Women’s Open in Toronto, Leona Maguire – looking for her third career win on the LPGA Tour – added a second-round 70 to her opening 66 to trail 36-holes clubhouse leader Akie Iwai of Japan by three shots.
