At the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Bay Hill, Orlando, Shane Lowry had to tip his hat to world champion, Scottie Scheffler. Scheffler, equipped with a reliable new mallet putter, delivered a show of excellence that secured his triumph and a $4 million prize. This followed closely after Lowry’s run in the Cognizant Classic, where he secured fourth position.
On the invitational PGA Tour, Lowry benefitted from a sponsor’s exemption. He retained his momentum from the previous tournament, despite a struggle for his first PGA Tour victory since the 2019 Open after a difficult start.
Despite an early setback, Lowry didn’t allow this to interfere with his focus. He showed tremendous resolve and while Scheffler dominated the victory, Lowry’s performance earned him the third place finish and a payday of $1.4 million. His final score was 72 for a total of 279.
This performance also allowed Lowry to acquire essential FedEx Cup points. He moved up in the season’s order of merit rankings from 79th to 30th, providing further momentum leading into The Players at Sawgrass this week; the 50th anniversary of the PGA Tour’s main event.
After a turbulent beginning, including a drive into a fairway bunker and a rough landing on the first and second shots, Lowry managed to recover. He answered with birdies on the ninth, 15th and 16th, culminating in a final score of 72; his best ever at Bay Hill where he has consistently faced challenges.
Praising his progress over the last few weeks, Lowry said, “We’ve got a great stretch of tournaments coming up, it’s nice to be playing some good golf.”
Meanwhile, Scheffler delivered a powerful final performance with 66 for 273. This marked his first tour victory since The Players tournament 51 weeks prior, bestowing him a five-shot lead over the second-place competitor, Wyndham Clark.
Scheffler, who is set to defend his Players championship at Sawgrass this week, expressed satisfaction with his performance. He stated that he remained focused on his game rather than peering at leaderboards, contributing to his successful tenure as the world number one since last May.
On the other hand, Rory McIlroy’s aspirations for a dynamic final round were dashed after a disappointing front nine of 41, including three bogeys and a double bogey. Nonetheless, he managed to somewhat amend the damage during a homeward swoop of 35, ultimately recording a total of 287 and securing a tied-21st place.
Commending Scheffler’s exceptional ball striking abilities, McIlroy pointed out how switching to the mallet putter was instrumental in Scheffler’s recent triumphant return. McIlroy may be trailing behind Scheffler, but he insists that it was a valuable week regarding his tee performance. He stated that despite solid putting during the last three days, his irons play was subpar, affecting his overall results. At present, he plans to enhance his irons performance to significantly improve his game.
Séamus Power, who finished with a score of 72, displayed novelty during his round that included four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey, placing him in tied-21st alongside McIlroy.
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