The Offaly native started on the back nine, so the homeward journey was always going to be trickier.
Shane Lowry told reporters, on Wednesday, that he just wanted to be in the mix heading into the final two rounds of the US PGA Championship. He is just about hanging on, but will need a superb Saturday to contend this major.
Starting his second round on the 10th, Lowry climbed up the leaderboard to -2 after two birdies on his opening five holes. The wind was up, but Lowry often thrives in those conditions.
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Fourth hole struggles for Shane Lowry
Lowry was, at that stage, only three off the lead. Justin Thomas was threatening
the lead of Rory McIlroy but so, too, was Lowry.
The next five holes were pars foe Shane Lowry but his first wobble came on the second hole [his 11th]. That was a momentum stall, but worse was to follow on the shortest par four on the Southern Hills course. Lowry was gunning for birdie but his iron approach found the bunker.
The Clara man was almost perfect with his bunker shot but, on this course, almost sometimes is not enough. The ball rolled back into the bunker, off the green, and Lowry needed to chip out again. Rattled by the unfortunate turn, he would eventually card a double bogey. Having birdied that same hole on Thursday, this was the course taking a bite back.
Lowry would eventually finish on +2 for his two rounds after bogeying the 8th [his 17th hole], but he comfortably made the cut, to extend his commendable majors record:
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Seamus Power in major contention
There was a better morning of golf for Seamus Power at the PGA Championship. The Waterford native was level par for his front nine, and the tournament, but two back nine birdies saw him get to -2.
There was a shot given back on the way home, but Power's two solid openers have him inside the top 20 in his second major. He is in touching distance of the leading pack, heading into Saturday.
Padraig Harrington is set to miss the cut after another up and, mainly, down round. However, the three-time major champion is not the only man to struggle in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Sergio Garcia, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Cantlay and Adam Scott are all going to miss the cut, too.
