Shane Lowry claimed bragging rights over enjoying associate Rory McIlroy to open a two-shot lead on the midway stage of the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational in Florida.
Lowry adopted an opening-round 69 with an excellent five-under 67 on Friday at Bay Hill Membership & Lodge, mixing six birdies with a lone bogey to go into the weekend on eight below.
The Irishman’s closest problem comes from former US Open champion Wyndham Clark, who sits two again on six below forward of two-time main winner Collin Morikawa and Canada’s Corey Conners, with McIlroy inside 4 of the midway lead after back-to-back 70s.
Rory McIlroy is trying to declare his second PGA Tour victory of the season
McIlroy is joined in a share of fifth by Russell Henley and Jason Day, who fired a round-of-the-day 64 to get to 4 below, whereas defending champion Scottie Scheffler heads into the weekend in tied-Twelfth and within the group seven again that comprises Ludvig Åberg.
How Lowry pulled clear at Bay Hill
Lowry, enjoying alongside McIlroy and beginning two behind Clark, made a robust begin when he adopted a 20-foot birdie on the second by rolling in from eight ft on the subsequent and choosing up one other shot on the seventh.
The Irishman began his again 9 with one other birdie and moved to 5 below for the day when he holed a 35-footer on the par-four thirteenth, though needed to convert from 10 ft to save lots of par on the subsequent earlier than bogeying the par-five sixteenth.
Lowry’s lead elevated to 2 when he holed from the perimeter to birdie the par-four final, as McIlroy dropped a shot – after a wayward tee shot – to finish a run of three birdies in his earlier 5 holes.
“You’re out there with one of the best golfers in the world, with big crowds, great golf course, lovely weather, what’s not to like?” Lowry instructed reporters. “It is simple to stand up for one thing like that.
“I feel like I thrive in those situations. I enjoyed my couple of days and I feel like we did play off each other a little bit. I know he probably feels like he could be better, but he’s still in a great position going into the weekend.”
Clark in Bay Hill rivalry once more after guidelines debate
Clark birdied his opening gap of the day and was concerned in a brief guidelines confusion on the par-four third, the place his ball was adjudged to have hit the golf green, bounce within the air and land again in its personal pitch mark.
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Followers have been left debating whether or not Wyndham Clark ought to have been penalised for taking aid from a pitch mark throughout his second spherical on the Arnold Palmer Invitational
The PGA Tour guidelines committee later confirmed Clark didn’t violate any guidelines when he took aid – which he would have executed had his ball landed in a distinct pitch mark.
“We didn’t know there was any confusion obviously when I’m playing,” Clark stated post-round. “When we hit it I was asking for it to stop. We never saw it bounce. Then we get up there and it’s in a plugged lie. My ball was covered with mud. So we took relief and didn’t think anything of it.”
Clark ended a run of pars with two birdies in three holes from the tenth however misplaced his lead on the par-four fifteenth, the place he had to return to the tee after a wayward drive earlier than holing from 20 ft to scramble a double-bogey six.
The American closed a one-under 71 and can play alongside Lowry – a team-mate for The Bay within the TGL – within the closing group on Saturday, with Clark trying to go one higher than final yr’s runner-up end to Scheffler.
Who will win the Arnold Palmer Invitational? Watch all through the weekend stay on Sky Sports activities. Early protection of the third spherical begins on Saturday from 3pm forward of full protection from 5.30pm. Get Sky Sports activities or stream with no contract on NOW.
