All it takes is something special to divert the conversation around the PGA Championship away from Scottie Scheffler and his run-in with Louisville law enforcement. The world number one was revealed on day three here, which is entirely understandable given the pressure associated with four charges, including one of assaulting a police officer.
Sean Lowry himself creates a fresh and exciting storyline. The Irishman stood on the 18th green at Valhalla and made a putt of 11 feet, 6 inches that would have made history. If he hits the bottom of the cup with a birdie, he will shoot the first 61 in major championship history.
Lowry’s ball refused to cooperate, for about the first time of the day. The 2019 Open champion shot just his fifth 62 in one of golf’s four major events. When Lowry’s ball narrowly missed the hole, his reaction showed he knew what he was capable of.
“This is probably the most disappointing 62 I’ve ever had,” he said. “I know what’s at stake. When you go out on the 29th, you think: ‘Wow, I had a great day here. “You’ve got 10, and it’s a pretty easy par 5. I think when I holed the putt on the 14th, I was like, ‘Here we go, yeah, this is a great opportunity. .
“But 15 was tricky, and 16 was another tough hole. I felt like I played well with them. Obviously, when I made that 17th birdie, I knew I really wanted to be there on the last one. Got a good tee shot on the hole. I pushed the ball a little bit and pushed it up and then I hit a great wedge shot and obviously missed the putt from around 14. , this thing has been in my mind. Then Lowry smiled. “I actually shot 60 before. I putted and shot 59, but I didn’t succeed.
Lowry’s putting performance was stunning until the end. The 13th hole saw his moment of glory when he made birdie from 37 feet. There was also heroics on the tenth hole, where the world number 43 brilliantly saved par after hitting a shot into a bunker and rolling back into the hole created by his pitch.
Looking at the big picture, he’s at 13 under and on his way to a second major championship. “I’ve felt all season long that if I could warm up the putter, I’d be dangerous,” he said. “I’ve been saying this. I’m playing in the final group tomorrow to have a chance to compete in this tournament. It’s a great position to be in. With 18 holes left in Kentucky, Collin Morikawa and Xander Xander Schauffele was at 15 under, one shot ahead of Sahith Theegala.
Justin Rose’s 64-year-old club looked ordinary next to Lowry, but he knew exactly what was going on with his partner. “I said to my caddy, ‘He needs two birdies in the last four holes.’ So, he obviously had a great birdie on 17, but unfortunately on 18 The hole missed the fairway and the 2013 U.S. Open champion came within one shot of Lowry’s 54-hole score.
Thankfully, Scheffler’s poor start to day three had nothing to do with his golf. He made double bogey on the second hole and then continued to hit the next two holes.
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The Masters champion bounced back slightly from there, but by the time he bogeyed the 14th hole, he had already added three to his tally for the day. There are too many top players right now between the Texans and the top of the leaderboard. Barring a miracle — the state’s Valhalla is fairly accessible — Scheffler is fighting for a spot.
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Rory McIlroy struggled after a 68. The latter is already very close. He missed the ensuing chances, which looked more costly as the Northern Irishman missed shots at Nos. 14 and 16.
“There’s a stretch of six or seven holes there where the putts are cool for me,” McIlroy said. “Depending on what happens tomorrow, if I look back on the game, I might regret that I didn’t make any putts during that period. I putted really well on Thursday, but over the past few days, the putting has kind of abandoned me. .
