Updated 01.00
OFFALY’S SHANE LOWRY gritted his teeth to force his way under par in his third round and sits eight under par, within four shots the lead, at the USPGA Championship in Bellerive Country Club, Missouri.
Lowry, who began the day finishing out his second round, maintained the solid run of form that helped him to fifth place after round two.
The 31-year-old had to overcome an early bogey setback at the fourth and did so with birdies at the sixth and ninth. A brilliant approach shot on 18 helped him cancel out his second bogey of the round and leave him with a round of 69 and sharing sixth place with the likes of Justin Thomas, Jason Day and one Tiger Woods.
Double US Open champion Brooks Koepka threatened to pull away and open up an unassailable lead midway through ‘moving day’ in St Louis. However, after making the turn in 30 shots with five birdies to his name, the American came back to the field with back-to-back bogeys at 14 and 15.
Though he would pull a shot back to leave himself -12 and two shots clear of Adam Scott heading into Sunday, the sniff of a chance added life to the chasing pack.
As ever, of course, the greatest excitement was generated by Tiger Woods.
The 14-time major winner bounced back from a bogey at the fifth with a hot streak of birdies at six, seven and eight to take him to -4 for the day and -8 for the Championship. There the 42-year-old stayed, however, as he was unable to break par over the back nine, though a more conservative putter might have broken his run of pars. Tiger was hunting eagles.
Rory McIlroy will be disappointed to card a round of 71 that sees him slip back while others made a charge on Saturday evening.
McIlroy had managed to get through the front nine bogey-free in rounds one and two, but regressed to the mean with pluses on the first, fourth and seventh in Missouri today.
A birdie on the second and two immediately after the turn softened the blow, but a wayward drive on 12 left him scrambling around trees to make a double bogey.
The Co. Down man pulled a shot back before closing with three straight pars, but at -2 for the Championship, he appears too far off Koepka and those snapping at his heels to challenge for another Wanamaker Trophy tomorrow.
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