Shane Lowry is pictured in action during the final round of the Truist Championship in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Photo: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Shane Lowry admits he’s been inspired by Rory McIlroy’s persistence as he seeks his first solo win for more than two-and-a-half years in the $20million Truist Championship in Philadelphia.
The Offaly man (38) is in the leading pack at Philadelphia Cricket Club and faces a battle with his 2023 Ryder Cup foursomes partner Sepp Straka, Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay for the $3.6million winner’s prize.
The $2.16million prize for second place and the third place prize of $1.36million will soften the blow if Lowry doesn’t claim victory.
Follow all the final round action here.
Truist Championship leaderboard:
Sepp Straka -16 (thru 17)
Shane Lowry -15 (thru 17)
Justin Thomas -14 (67) (F)
Patrick Cantlay -12 (65) (F)
Tommy Fleetwood -12 (65) (F)
Jacob Bridgeman -12 (65) (F)
It’s way more possible from a putting point of view than Straka whose ball is about 30 feet from the hole. Drama. You’ve got to love it!
I mean Justin Thomas is guaranteed third-place at least it seems, but things could get better while he’s in the clubhouse as both Straka and Lowry find themselves in danger.
A final par from 10 feet on the 18th green wraps up a nice afternoon for the American.
But no. Lowry can’t take advantage of the Austrian’s error. He sends his tee shot even further to the left and it’s crept into one of the gallery tents near by. Shocker!
The Austrian was further from the pin therefore he putted first – a decent effort from 35 feet – which leaves him with a two-footer to save par.
Lowry, with 20 foot to the hole, chases the birdie but it slips off to the left and he’s forced to settle for par. Surely the 38-year-old will have to be aggressive on the 18th and last hole.
Straka, by contrast, is far too shy with his approach. The Austrian pays the price as his ball hops off the ridge, forcing him to putt first from 35-feet away.
After the bogey on sixteen, Justin Thomas does so well to hole his putt for birdie from 12 feet. The gallery in attendance around the green love it!
Thomas sits in third overall on -13, just one behind Lowry and two off the leader Straka.
Both Straka and Lowry find the fairway on the seventeenth with little fuss. Lowry’s ball lies a little to the left, whereas Straka takes a central position.
This could be the defining moment in this two-horse race. Lowry’s ball starts off in the rough and the Offaly man does well to draw it in towards the pin. It sits just 5 feet beyond the hole.
But he can’t sink the putt! He looks to the heavens and curses his luck in disgust.
Straka shows signs of nerves on the green but he keeps it together to make par. The Austrian leads by a stroke as they head towards the 17th.
Straka finds the green, but the ridge undoes some of his work as it creeps away from the pin leaving him with a 30-foot putt as he hunts the birdie.
The chip from the Clara man is absolutely on the money. It’s so close to eagle but it stops inches short of the hole. Regardless, he gladly taps in for birdie. Lowry drops to the ground in joy.
Straka follows that up with a long-range putt which comes up 3 feet short – and he can’t make eagle! It hooks left and he drains it for birdie too.
Elsewhere, Justin Thomas drops a shot and falls three behind the Irishman and Austrian atop the standings.
The Down native was let down by his weekend scores as he follows up yesterday’s 69 with a 68 today. The 36-year-old is in a tie for 7th-place alongside Cam Young and Keith Mitchell – the latter is 10 under thru 15 so far.
Straka also opts for the iron and amazingly botches his own approach. He almost left it right beside Lowry’s ball. The question is, who can chip closest to the pin?
Lowry just needed another foot in that putt on the 14th green and it would have been a birdie. It was the perfect line and everything! He knocks in from 2-feet for par.
Straka avails of Lowry’s effort, a trial run of sorts in the Austrian’s mind, but he hooks his to the right. A tap-in par. Still gridlocked as they head to the fifteenth tee box.
The Englishman will be delighted with his final hole on the 18th as he birdies to pull himself up the leaderboard into a tie for fourth place.
Six birdies and just the two bogies for the 34-year-old today. Not a bad return!
Straka came off in a far better position than Lowry with his tee shot as he smashed it down the fairway. Lowry pulled his off the fairway, but recovered well to bring himself within 20 feet of the pin.
Lowry comes so close to the birdie but it catches the rim of the hole and kicks out. A tap in for par it is. The Austrian makes no mistake with his 3-foot shot to break even.
A bogey on the 18th Hole will frustrate the Kentucky native, but he wraps up his final round on five under for 65. He currently holds onto fourth place.
Nothing crazy in the end for either of the joint leaders. Lowry under-cooks his putt for birdie which leaves him with a tricky one for par – no mistake for the 38-year-old!
Straka snaps his streak of bogies with par and a routine 3-foot putt which he nails with ease.
Straka doesn’t like the look of his tee shot one bit. He just about finds the green but it’s a long way from the pin.
The par-4 eleventh hasn’t been too kind to Straka who surrenders the lead for a tie with Lowry. The Austrian had a 10-foot putt for par which faded to the left. Back-to-back bogeys on the back nine won’t help his confidence!
Lowry’s ambitious shot for birdie doesn’t drop, but he cleans up for par with a 3 footer. Both golfers on 15 under thru 11 as they head for the twelfth tee box.
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