He won the Irish Open as an amateur in 2009, and he picked up his first win as a pro three years later in Portugal. The 48th-ranked player in the world sank the birdie putt and let off a fury of fist pumps for his first career PGA Tour victory.
“I just love being here”, Henry said. Instead, he used wedges to clear tall trees between him and the pins. He followed up a front-nine 33 with a birdie on 10 that was equal to if not better than his effort on 18. Lowry began the final round two strokes back of Furyk and Rose, made a birdie at the eighth hole to tie for the lead, then hit a couple of heroic shots on the back nine.
Lowry, 28, perhaps has learned some of that from McIlroy, who is two years younger but has four major championships to his name and a slew of other accomplishments.
“When I heard about Rory’s injury, I just sent him a text that said: “Heard about the injury, hope to see you back as soon as you can”, Lowry recalled.
Faced with a tricky lie up against the collar of the rough near the 17th green, he managed to get up-and-down to keep his momentum.
The Olympics in Rio next summer will also be in his thoughts now. He made up for it in an enormous means Saturday on the Bridgestone Invitational with a 7-under 63 that gave him a share of the lead with Jim Furyk going into the ultimate spherical.
He holed some pivotal putts and as Ewan also said in commentary, if he got up and down at the 17th he deserved to win and I agreed with that 100%. I think I figured out how to play out here in the altitude. “Now knowing that if I had hit the tree, it spins more on 18″. By believing in his game and having the traction to fearlessly take on the dream-killing tight track, the Irishman came out ahead at the Firestone Country Club. Lowry finished at 11-under 269 and earned a PGA Tour card for the next three years. He had been a special temporary member.
Lowry hooked one tee shot so far left he was given a free drop because the 11th tee box was in the way. I left a few out there but was still able to knock some in and make some birdies. That’s what I should have done. “Tell Lowry that was unbelievable”.
Players received five points for an eagle, two for a birdie, zero for a par, minus-one for a bogey and minus-three for a double bogey or worse.
Maggert, 51, closed with a 6-under 64 at Canyon Meadows to finish at 16-under 194.
Since claiming his first PGA TOUR title last year Bowditch has gone from strength to strength and while always capable of flashes of brilliance has this year found more of the consistency required to contend regularly at the top level.
His victory in one of the toughest events on tour has catapulted Lowry to number 19 in the latest World Gold Rankings.
Champions: Miguel Angel Jimenez eagled the par-5 18th gap to match the course document of 9-under 61 and tie Colin Montgomerie for the second-round lead within the Shaw Charity Basic. Both closed with a 72 to tie for third, four shots behind.
