LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Shane Lowry was just 11 feet, 10 inches away from history.
On Saturday at Valhalla Golf Club, the Irishman made a birdie putt on the 18th green to shoot his first 61 in a major championship. But when the putt slid wide left, Lowry could only grimace and look skyward in bittersweet disappointment.
One part of the story would have to do.
Moving up
Shane Lowry as T-29 at the end of the second round. Over the last 25 PGA Championships, only 3 players have moved between the top 5 and 54 holes after being out of the first 25 and 36 holes:
• WC Liang, 2010 (Whistling), went from T-40 to T-4; finished T-8
• Padraig Harrington2008 (Oakland Hills), went from T-26 to T-4; Cattle
• Thomas Björn, 2005 (Baltusrol), went from T-36 to third place; finished T-2
“I enjoyed it. I enjoyed every minute, obviously,” Lowry said. “Probably the most disappointed anyone can have been to shoot 62. I knew what was at stake. I just didn’t hit the ball hard enough. I had a good read on it and I just ran away from the hole.”
Just two days after his own 9th low in the PGA Championship, the fifth 62nd in major championship history.
The winner of the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush began his third round at the PGA Championship at 4 under par, 8 strokes behind leader Schauffele. He made quick work of Valhalla’s front nine, making six birdies, including four in a row from the second hole to the sixth, for a total of 29 on the front nine.
Lowry slowed down and made pars on his next three holes after making the turn, but made consecutive birdies on the short par-4 13th with a 37-foot putt and the long par-3 14th with a 32. – standing putt. By the end of his historic round, Lowry had made 160 feet of putts. He added another birdie on the 17th hole, giving him a chance to shoot 61 by birdieing the par-5 18th.
Records aside, Lowry is now firmly in contention to win his second major heading into Sunday’s final round. By the time he finished his round, he was 1 shot behind Schauffele (14 under par).
This year, Valhalla has proven to be one of the easiest courses in major championship history. Not only has the field already given up two scores of 62, but after two rounds, there were 78 players under par, the most in the history of any major.
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