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Shane Lowry left Winged Foot tonight praying for the ghosts of the rest of the US Open field that were still on the field and seemed to have been answered as the New York field finally flexed its muscles and began to claim Rory McIlroy as one of its victims.
A 76 start on one of the toughest courses in this major on Thursday spoke of missed opportunities for the Open champion when first round leader Justin Thomas posted a 65 of five under par, the lowest score at Winged Foot ever. registered in a US Open there.
However, as the tournament’s janitors, the USGA tweaked and tightened their setup and the breeze began to rise north of New York City today, Lowry accepted the challenge and two birdies on the final three holes of the second round. They gave a very respectable level pair. 70 and hopes of making the cut halfway.
With the top-60 and draws advancing to the third round today, Lowry looked increasingly comfortable at six over par as the cutoff line inched further from five to six and was projected to land at seven at the close. last night’s playing as Bryson DeChambeau The morning of ’68 gave him the clubhouse advantage after completing the first wave of the second round three under par.
“In a way I thought I needed to get to five (more) today to make the cut,” Lowry said. “We played last, and I had a great drive in the ninth and I kind of took a look at the score and the weather, and I think six could have a chance.
“I would be happy to make him go from where he was because I played very well today. In fact, yesterday I also played well, but I bogey with 18 and the first today, which is my ninth and tenth.
“To be honest, the wind was out of my sails then, and I thought that was it, done. It is very difficult to make three birdies out there. It’s getting very difficult out there. It’s quite windy and the greens are firming up. Look, I’ll have a long afternoon sitting, watching television, praying that the boys make ghosts. That’s where I am now. ”
Lowry’s desire to have ghosts of his rivals on the court line may not have extended to McIlroy, but that is what he may have seen on his television last night, as his Irish compatriot failed to capitalize on an excellent first round of 67 and a birdie to open the second.
The four-time Major Champion had pitched his lowest opening round in a Major for six years, his 66 in 2014 leading to victory at both The Open and PGA Championships. However, four bogeys and a killer double on his next six holes saw all the good work undone as McIlroy wilted under more difficult conditions, going from four under to two on the seventh hole.
He was not the only one to suffer that fate. Thomas, a place above McIlroy in the world rankings at number three, started from 10th and had a bogey on 13, 14 and 16, while Patrick Reed, who had started his second round a shot behind the leader after an opening 66, saw two canceled birdies. off for three bogeys, also starting in the 10th when DeChambeau sat quite a bit at three under, his full day’s work with only five other below par golfers.
There was little consolation for Irish fan James Sugrue, particularly as his hopes of completing a US Open-Irish Open double next week could be in doubt after the Corkman revealed that he has not received an invitation to his national Open. .
Golfer Mallow retired from the second major of the year at Winged Foot after winning an exemption to the US Open with his momentous Amateur Championship victory in Portmarnock 15 months ago. That oldest amateur ‘major’ win also landed him at the Open Championship last summer, while Sugrue also has an invite to this year’s Masters in November.
However, a field spot at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open in Galgorm, Co Antrim, remained off the table last night as Sugrue looked back at his 79 of nine over par, confirming that he would miss the cut. He had played alongside Bubba Watson and Lee Westwood, the European Tour veteran who suggested that an invitation to the Irish Open should have been in the Irish international’s possession.
When asked if he would play at Galgorm next week, Sugrue replied: “Yes, definitely. I’ve never played. Last year it was in Lahinch, which would be pretty close to my home and one of my favorite courses, and I couldn’t play because, A, I think it was a Rolex event last year, and also because we had European team championships. , so I couldn’t play.
“So yeah I would love it, it would be great to start at the Irish Open. That would be great. I would definitely accept that offer if it were possible.
“I thought I had done enough to deserve an invitation. Obviously, it is not my decision. I don’t know whose decision it is or who distributes the invitations, but yes, I wouldn’t dwell on that too much.
“If I’m inside, I’m inside. If I am not, I am not. It’s not the end of the world … If the opportunity arose, I would definitely play. “
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