Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy treaded water instead of surging forward on a harsher course with wind conditions persisting, during the third round of the 88th Masters. They stayed in the middle of the pack, lagging behind the serious contenders for this year’s green jacket.
McIlroy, set to return to the Magnolia Lane again next year for his quest to win the career Grand Slam, recorded a round-three score of 71, making his total for the 54-holes three-over-par 219. He finished his round slightly inside the top-30.
McIlroy managed to score a few birdies after his uneventful second round. His third-round score included three birdies – on the 2nd, 8th, and 14th holes. Unfortunately, he couldn’t birdie the 13th and 15th Par 5s. Although he aims to climb up the leaderboard for Sunday’s final round, he is aware that winning his first Major, since his victory at the 2014 US PGA tournament, is out of his reach.
Speaking about another Masters streak without reaching his goal, McIlroy asserted that his goal was to keep trying and remain patient. He added, “All you can do is try to be accepting and keep hitting good shots.”
Although McIlroy’s swing is undergoing changes after enlisting the help of Butch Harmon to supplement his work with coach Michael Bannon, he is optimistic. “I made good progress last week in San Antonio (during the Valero Texas Open last week). I’d say my strokes gained approach numbers today were probably pretty good. So, it’s getting better. It’s definitely better than what it was through the Florida swing,” he said. McIlroy plans to participate in the upcoming RBC Heritage Classic, hoping to improve his FedEx Cup standings.
Shane Lowry experienced a memorable moment in his third round when he scored an eagle two on the 14th from the pine straw, his gesture of jubilation and relief clearly visible. This success was particularly notable considering it followed a trio of bogeys from the 10th and a missed birdie opportunity on the 13th’s Par 5. However, this was an exceptional occurrence on a scorecard plagued by an excessive number of bogeys.
Lowry concluded the day with a less than satisfactory 75, making an overall 54-hole score of six-over-par 222. Rather than advancing forward, as he had intended, the day was marked by setbacks.
Lowry expressed his disappointment, but also his acceptance, “An unsatisfactory day, indeed, but one must take what comes. I believe my golf is at a level where it needs to be, but my scoring isn’t quite matching up… sadly, in our sport, such days are more common than the good ones. I’ve reached a point where I’ve matured to handle such outcomes and move along.”