Rory McIlroy dropped out of the running for the Cognizant Classic on the PGA Tour, as Shane Lowry and David Skinns of England share the lead going into the final round.
Lowry shot a five-under 66 on Saturday at PGA National after shooting back-to-back 67s. Skinns, who hasn’t made a cut on the PGA Tour since 2022 and has never placed higher than tied-29th, also shot a 66 in the third round to go to 13 under.
American Austin Eckroat, who scored a three-under 68, is linked with the other two players at the top in a three-way tie. The three of them have a three-shot lead over a group of five players tied for fourth, which includes Victor Perez of France and Martin Laird of Scotland.
After a triple bogey at the par-four 16th hole caused him to falter to a one-over 72, McIlroy fell six behind Min Woo Lee, Jacob Bridgeman, and Kevin Yu, who round up the quintet on 10 under.
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In the third round of the Cognizant Classic, Rory McIlroy entered the water for a shot, but even that didn’t go as planned.
Can Lowry declare triumph in Florida?
After missing his 15-foot eagle putt, Lowry birdied the first and gained a stroke at the par-five third. He then holed from 20 feet at the next, and at the 10th and 12th holes, he cancelled out a birdie by failing to save par from close range.
In response, the Irishman birdied two of his final three holes to set a clubhouse target. Lowry is aiming for his first win outside of majors and WGCs since the 2022 BMW PGA Championship as well as his first victory on the PGA Tour.
Kildare, Ireland – September 10, 2023: Shane Lowry of Ireland following the Horizon Irish Open Golf Championship’s final round at The K Club in Straffan, Kildare, on the 18th green. (Image sourced from Getty Images by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile)
Following Europe’s Ryder Cup victory, Shane Lowry has only played four times, dropping to world No. 57.
“I’ve obviously played quite well over the last few days,” Lowry stated. “I won’t accept anything as given. I’ll do what I’ve been doing all week, get ready as best I can in the morning, then go out there and give it my all.
That will be fantastic if tomorrow I can perform at my best. If not, on Monday we’ll start over from scratch.”
Having missed the first four cuts of the PGA Tour season, Skinns, ranked No. 278 in the world, increased his chances of a Cinderella finish with five birdies in a bogey-free third round.
“I wouldn’t say nerves, I’ve just been waiting a long time to be in this spot,” Skinns stated. “I’m more than happy to be here. I’m attempting to enjoy each moment to the fullest. I’m simply ecstatic.”
What is the status of McIlroy?
After making eight straight pars to start the round, McIlroy lost distance on the leaders. He further lost ground when he missed a three-foot putt to save par on the ninth, but he recovered from a greenside bunker to take advantage of the following par-five.
The Northern Irishman closed the gap on the lead by making consecutive birdies at the 12th and 13th holes, rolling in from 20 feet and pitching to close range, respectively. However, he missed a putt at the par-three 15th after finding sand off the tee.
On the ensuing par-four, McIlroy hit his approach into the hazard and made a failed attempt to hack out of the water after removing his shoe to play the shot. He then decided to accept a penalty drop and pitched to seven feet and two-putted for a triple-bogey seven.
Image: In his first two PGA Tour outings this season, McIlroy has finished tied-66th and tied-24th. The former world number one lost a birdie opportunity at the par-three, then made a two-putt birdie at the par-five, leaving him six shots adrift in tied-26th.
Robert MacIntyre is tied for 58th place after a level-par 71 kept him at two under, while Billy Horschel and England’s Matt Fitzpatrick are both heading into the final round on seven under.
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