SHANE LOWRY lamented a bad start on Sunday, as the Irish star had to settle for third place at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The Offaly native began the day as joint leader with Scottie Scheffler, but the American prevailed comfortably.

The world number one finished five strokes ahead of runner-up and reigning US Open champion Wyndham Clark, while Lowry was six adrift.

“There’s probably only a couple of players in the world that can live with him playing like that,” the Irishman told reporters afterwards. “Not sure I’m one of them. I was disappointed I didn’t put any pressure on him early. I got off to a bad start, he got off to a good start. I was a few shots behind at the end of the day. I’m sure Wyndham feels the same. But, yeah, he showed today why he’s world number one.

“I was a little bit shaken after those early bogeys, I hit a great shot on the second and probably just half a club out, but, yeah, this type of course, it gives you nothing. I was close to being better this week, but another top five, some much-needed FedExCup points, and on to Sawgrass next week.”

While paying tribute to Scheffler, Lowry also explained that the unforgiving course in Bay Hill, Florida had a big influence.

“I think he played very well, but when he hit the bad shots he got them up and down, that was key. He holed the right putts at the right time. A couple of things change and you never know.

“Like, down this stretch here, you put somebody, no matter who they are, no matter how good they are under pressure, you never know what could happen. I don’t think he got that. Now, I’m not saying that he wouldn’t have won, but I didn’t get a chance to — I kept missing fairways and then leaving 30 feet for birdie and you run it by and you have four, five feet back, and these greens are difficult.

“So it’s tough for me to talk about and think about it right now because I’m just off the course and I was so focused on my own game and trying to have the best week I could, but I’ll sit down and reflect on it over the next couple of days and all in all it’s been a great week.”

It was a similarly mixed few days for Rory McIlroy, who finished tied for 21st on one under par.

“I putted well the last three days,” the Holywood native said. “Just the iron play’s let me down. It’s been the same story the last few weeks, struggling with a left miss with the irons and it’s hard because the longer clubs, the woods, feel so good and then the irons don’t feel that good, so I feel like I’m having to put like two different swings on the woods and the irons at the minute, which is a struggle. But everything else feels pretty good, so if I can get the irons tightened up, I feel like I’ll be in a good spot.”