Shane Lowry’s misfortune at the 2022 Cognizant Classic was one of the worst ever when it comes to bad weather breakdowns. The Irishman needed a birdie on the 72nd hole to force a playoff with Sepp Straka, a par-5 PGA National player who is usually ready to hit the red ball.
But after a day of clear skies, as Lowry walked toward the 18th tee box, the storm came, and within minutes, rain poured down in torrents that Lowry couldn’t handle. He struggled with his drive; he had to lay up, and his approach to the draw only resulted in par and a one-shot loss.
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The memory must be even more painful considering Lowry hasn’t won a stroke play title on American soil since 2015. (After winning the 2019 Open at Royal Portrush, he teamed up with Rory McIlroy to win the 2024 Zurich Classic.)
Fortunately for Lowry, the PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, not far from his adopted hometown of Jupiter in the United States, remains one of his favorite tracks and he has one more chance to slay those demons from ’22.
Lowry, who played earlier than planned on Saturday due to concerns about the coming storm, hit the ball well and had five birdies on the front nine to finish with an 8-under 63, his best score in the 35th round of a previous Honda-sponsored tournament.
Lowry entered the final round at 13 under, tied with Austin Smotherman, who, like the Irishman, birdied the final two holes to reach 200. Among the many players, there were nine other players who were five strokes or closer away from the lead.
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Lowry is the most high-profile player in the field, with four top-11 finishes in his most recent start at PGA National, including three straight top-five finishes. But he insists the championship owes him nothing.
“Yeah, it was one of those things that day that I felt a little bit unfortunate about,” Lowry said Saturday of the ’22 result. “But, you know, that’s the thing about golf. It doesn’t give you anything; you have to get it. I’m going to try my best to get it tomorrow.”
Lowry, ranked 31st in the world, has already suffered one heartbreaking close call this year – another disaster on the final hole. In his first start of the season, he needed a birdie on 18 to reach a playoff at the DP World Tour Dubai Invitational. But after finding a greenside bunker, Lowry’s recovery shot went around the pin and fell into the water, resulting in a double bogey and a final third place finish.
“What can you do?” Lowry said in frustration afterward. Guys, you have to learn from this and move on. This game is…I don’t know. This is the start of my 18th Tour season and I can never figure it out. “
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Lowry, whose best finish on tour this year was a tie for eighth at Pebble Beach, was in the best position to win Sunday at PGA National, hitting the ball so well that he took more than 5.5 strokes on the course.
“I thought it was pretty easy today,” the 38-year-old Lowry said. “This golf course is never easy to play, but if you hit 15, 16, 17 downwind today, then you know that 15 is the 8-iron downwind; 16 is the 3-iron, 9-iron; and 17 is the wedge. You know, if the wind turns, all of a sudden you’re hitting 6-iron, 6-iron and 6-iron. The number iron on these three holes automatically gets two or three shots harder.
“It wasn’t very windy out there, so there were a few things that made it easy enough today and the wind direction was one of them.
“But you still have to go out and hit the ball. The greens are solid. If you hit the ball poorly, it can get away from you. I felt like I did everything well today.”
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Austin Smotherman hits his shot on the fifth tee.
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Raj Mehta
Smotherman, a California native who played at Southern Methodist University and lives in Dallas, was one round away from his first tour victory. He opened with a 62 and followed up with back-to-back 69s. This comes after a T-8 finish at the American Express after he lost three of his first four promotions this season.
Smotherman, 31, said he got chills Saturday when reporters asked him about his shared lead with Lowry.
“Most excited about tomorrow,” he said. “To hit the ball in front of all these fans and hear people yelling your name and then refocus and try to do it again in the next at-bat, I think it’s a fun challenge. Starting this week, that’s what you prepare for and play for. Not that you expect to be there, but when you’re there, you know you’re ready, and I feel like I’m ready.”
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Ineligible for the Pebble Beach and Riviera Tour’s signature events, Smotherman took two weeks off with his hometown race still on his mind. His wife, Jess, will give birth to their third child on March 23, the week of the Texas Children’s Open in Houston.
“It’s kind of a crunch time,” Smotherman said, adding that he plans to compete next week — either by qualifying for the iconic Arnold Palmer Invitational or the concurrent event in Puerto Rico. Of course, there’s also the Players Championship the following week.
“I hope the kid doesn’t come during players’ week, where I have to make a really tough choice,” Smotherman said earlier this week. “but [my] Thoughts are free. I just wanted to go play golf and I thought, when the baby is born, the baby will be born. “
Meanwhile, his family was watching at home, and he said his wife sent a video to a friend on Saturday in which his young daughter pointed at the TV screen and said, “Dada.”
“I wonder if they took a nap today,” Smotherman asked with a smile.
With a dad leading Cognizant, probably not.