Shane Lowry admits he enjoys the artistry required when playing in the wind and strong gusts around Dubai Creek Resort provided him with the perfect canvas to wield his magic as he claimed a share of the halfway lead at the Dubai Invitational.
Lowry’s three-under 68 was the joint low round of the day with co-leader Nacho Elvira and the pair hold a two-shot lead over Marcus Armitage and David Puig on five-under-par.
After relatively benign conditions on Thursday, Lowry and Rory McIlroy set out in very strong winds which provided a much tougher test. Back to back birdies to start was the perfect settler for Lowry who also picked up a birdie at the sixth while he bogeyed the fifth and ninth.
The Offaly man, a 2019 Open champion and a winner in Abu Dhabi that year also, showed his talent in the wind with a sublime back nine. As others fell away coming home, Lowry picked up birdies on the 10th and 16th.
“Second round of the year you kind of don’t want this but I am very happy with my day’s work. People were saying to me on the putting green this morning ‘you must have looked out today and saw this’ and I’d rather there wasn’t as much wind but I’m able to deal with it.”
Although the 38-year-old would rather calmer conditions this early on in the season, he feels this type of test can bring the best out of him.
“I do quite enjoy the artistry of having to move the ball around and hitting 8-irons from 130 yards it’s good fun. We had a great group today and when you’re out there having a bit of fun it’s easy to play good golf. That attitude for the rest of the year and I’ll be pretty good.”
Lowry is three shots clear of McIlroy who stumbled late on with back to back bogeys to finish with a 74 to lie in fifth place on two-under. The grand slam winner found the water four times – with his tee shot on the 6th, his approach to the par-5 13th, his tee shot to the par-3 14th and with an iron off the tee on the par-4 17th.
Perhaps being paired with McIlroy and facing the prospect of holding him off over the weekend also helps the Clara man perform well.
“Being around him, I’m so comfortable around him so being paired with him I don’t get too flustered. He’s one of the greatest players of all time now and when you see what he does day to day, week to week and what makes him better it drives you on to be better as a person yourself.”
Lowry is now in position to convert a 36-hole lead for his first individual victory since 2022. He is desperate for that elusive victory but feels the floodgates could open once it comes as he feels his best years are still to come.
“You have to believe that, if you don’t then you may as well pack it in. I’m working as well as I ever have I feel like my game is as good as it’s been so we will see.”
Pádraig Harrington and Tom McKibbin are both ten shots off the pace on five-over.
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