Two years ago at PGA National, Shane Lowry came close to winning. The Irishman has significantly increased his chances of winning on Sunday.
Following the third round of the Cognizant Classic on Saturday, Lowry, David Skinns, and Austin Eckroat were all tied for first place. Eckroat shot a 68, while Lowry and Skinns also had 66s. They had a 13-under 200 score.
On the PGA TOUR, Lowry is aiming for his third triumph. In 33 tour starts, Skinns is attempting to achieve his first top-10 result. In his 50th start, Eckroat is going for his first TOUR victory.
“I enjoy playing tough golf, even though this year’s scoring is fairly excellent. I enjoy it most when there’s a lot on the queue. On this golf course, you’re standing over a lot of strokes, and those shots signify a lot since one poor swing might result in a high number. I feel as though all I have to do is play golf. I think I’ve got it worked out.” Lowry, who has shot in the 60s for the past three days, stated.
Victor Perez (70), Kevin Yu (70), Martin Laird (66), Min Woo Lee (66), and Jacob Bridgeman (65) were all 10-under. C.T. Pan (70) and Andrew Novak (70) represented yet another setback.
The competition, which was formerly known as the Honda Classic, is being held at PGA National for the 18th time. And rallying for a victory there on Sunday has shown to be difficult. 11 of the final winners in the previous 17 tour tournaments held at PGA National had at least a share of the lead after 54 holes, and 16 of them were no worse than tied for second.
Sungjae Im, who was ranked sixth going into the 2020 championship round, was the exception. And Sepp Straka (five back in 2022 when he defeated Lowry), Im (three back in 2020), Padraig Harrington (three back in 2015), and Russell Henley (two back in 2014) were the only players to come back from more than one stroke behind entering the final round to win the Cognizant Classic at PGA National.
“In my opinion, when a course becomes so challenging, you may have a little bit more leeway to not take the lead or have to defend anything. That may, then, work to the men’ advantage who are approaching from behind. I’m not aware of the statistics pertaining to 54-hole winners. The winner will ultimately be the one who uses the fewest number of strokes.” Perez said.
In 2022, Lowry and Straka were tied for the lead going into the 72nd hole at PGA National. On the par-5 hole, Straka, who was leading the group, hammered his drive 334 yards. And then, as is often in South Florida, it started to pour like a hurricane right out of nowhere.
In order to win, Lowry had to tee off in the heaviest rain, and his drive lagged behind Straka by ninety yards. With no chance of making it to the green in two, he decided to lay down and watch Straka score a birdie. After Lowry’s long birdie putt went wide, Straka won on the PGA TOUR for the first time.
“It’s funny since, at the time, I didn’t know Sepp at all. When we were playing at the Ryder Cup, I used to tell him that I didn’t like him after the match. Now that I’ve gotten along so well with him, we’ve become extremely friendly. I often say there’s nothing golf owes you. I didn’t perform well that day. I’ve failed in the past. I have experienced better outcomes in the past. Simply go forth, give it your all, and let fate take its course.” Lowry said.
There is a 15-player tie for 11th place at 8 under, with 25 players five strokes behind the lead. Among the men caught in a deadlock are Rickie Fowler, who shot 67 on Saturday for the second day in a row, and second-round leader Bud Cauley (74). At 7 under, Rory McIlroy was in a group with another player.
