It was a case of low expectations and high reward for Shane Lowry as a sensational run of three birdies and an eagle in four holes after the turn helped him into the overnight lead at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Lowry has a wretched record at Bay Hill, making his first cut in five visits last year and he was pleasantly surprised to find himself at the top of the leaderboard after an opening 66.
“I’m not used to shooting scores like this, especially around this course. My record around here is incredibly bad!” smiled Lowry whose best finish here is 67th at a golf course he admitted he “hadn’t completely figured out.”
“I had very low expectations but I knew I was playing well coming off last week and I spoke to my coach this morning and he said get out there and try to hit some fairways and greens and make a few putts when I can and see what happens and enjoy it as much as I can so I will try that for the rest of the week and hopefully I can keep this good golf up.”
The Clara man is playing in his first Signature Event of the season having been granted a sponsor’s invite last week. He had a near miss at the Cognizant Classic, finishing 4th after holding the 54-hole lead but he has taken the positives and looks to be riding the momentum he so desperately needed heading into a crucial part of the season.
Having birdied the par-3 2nd, Lowry burst into life after a run of seven pars when he hit a wedge from 82 yards to three-feet on 10 before rolling a 34-foot birdie on 11.
“It was a lovely number and angle to the pin, hit a lovely lob wedge in there and it was a nice way to set up a birdie, I played the front nine pretty well and I was only one-under so I felt I should have been better so that got me going into the back nine.
He then had a bonus eagle on the par-5 12th when he chipped in from the back of the green before he drained a 20-foot putt for another birdie on 13 as his improved putting performance of late continued.
“I hit a great second shot with a 5-wood and I fancied the chip and knocked it in so I was on a roll there, the game was feeling really easy and it was great. We went onto 13 and I rolled another one in as well. It felt easy at this stage and I know 14 and 15 are difficult but I hit some good shots.
A bogey on the par-3 14th was recovered with a birdie on 17 and he ensured he maintained some momentum heading into round two with a clutch five-footer for par on 18.
“17 is a tough one if you’re in between it can be difficult but if you can get a good number you can hit a good shot in so I had a good number and hit a lovely six-iron to five or six feet.
“18 was nice, I ran the birdie putt by I struggled with the pace of it but left myself the right putt up the hill and I managed to shoot a good score.
“Today was as benign as I’ve seen Bay Hill for a while. I’ve never had the mindset of going out to get Bay Hill, it normally gets me! Hopefully I can keep this up.”
Lowry holds a one shot lead over Justin Lower and Hideki Matsuyama with Sam Burns and Sahith Theegala in the group at four-under-par.
Seamus Power is level-par after a 72 while Rory McIlroy struggled to a one-over 73.
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