Shane Lowry remained affected person after an infuriating day on the greens to maintain his victory hopes intact on the Valspar Championship in Florida.
The world quantity 15 holed only one putt exterior 4 toes in a one-under 70, but it surely left him simply two photographs behind leaders Nico Echavarria, Jacob Bridgeman and Viktor Hovland in his closing occasion earlier than the Masters.
Lowry birdied the primary and bogeyed the second however managed to make solely a 25-footer for birdie on the tenth earlier than parring the final eight holes.
“I can not keep in mind the final time I hit so many good putts that burned the sting,” Lowry stated after shaving the outlet from 30 toes on the final on the testing Copperhead Course at Innisbeook.
“I did hit it, like, in all probability a bit of bit too far-off from the outlet in the present day. However I felt like I performed a really strong spherical of golf and did not make many errors. However I simply really feel like I did not get rewarded in any respect in the present day.
“I did not have something occur, did not achieve any momentum anyplace. However I am solely going to be two or three, 4 photographs again on the most going into Sunday round right here.
“So I do know if I can exit on shoot within the mid-60s tomorrow that one thing may occur.”
Colombia’s Echavarria shot 66 to put up the clubhouse lead earlier than Bridgeman shot 70 and Hovland a 69 to hitch him on seven-under.
They lead by a shot from Ricky Castillo (68) with Lowry in a six-way tie for fifth with Justin Thomas (65), Chinese language Taipei’s Kevin Yu (68), Davis Riley (69), Germany’s Jeremy Paul (70) and Japan’s Ryo Hisatsune (71).
The Offaly man appeared exasperated however remained affected person as he felt he was hitting good putts.
“Actually, I felt nice with the putter in the present day,” he stated. “And even that one on 18 from 30 toes, tough putt, however I felt like I used to be going to gap it.
“I used to be standing there, I used to be aggressive with my putts, I used to be getting all of them to the outlet. And yeah, I simply burned plenty of edges in the present day, however that is golf.”
With the highest ten lined by simply three photographs and 30 gamers inside 5 photographs of the lead, Lowry is aware of the leaders might be below strain from the sooner starters.
“You noticed what occurred in the present day. J.T. (Justin Thomas) and Jordan (Spieth, three-under) went out and shot two good numbers this morning, and so they’re again within the match,” he stated.
“So any individual’s in all probability going to exit tomorrow morning and shoot a low quantity and put themself in there, after which it is as much as the blokes like myself who’re out late to form of attempt to get as far-off as we will.”
One man hoping to shoot that early rating is Seamus Energy, who shot 70 to lurk in no joint thirty first on one-under, simply six off the lead.
On the Hoag Basic on the PGA Tour Champions, Fred {Couples} and Miguel Angel Jimenez shot seven-under 64s to steer by a shot from Freddie Jacobson in 11-under in California.
Darren Clarke and defending champion Padraig Harrington had been six photographs off the tempo, tied for twenty first on 5 below at Newport Seaside Nation Membership after 68s.
