Lowry upset by late reverse as Harrington is de-ranged

October 20, 2017 Brian Keogh

Joost Luiten of the Netherlands receives a bottle of champagne for his albatross on the 11th hole during day two of the Andalucia Valderrama Masters at Real Club Valderrama on October 20, 2017 in Cadiz, Spain. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)

Shane Lowry was frustrated by closing double bogey but knows that even six shots off the lead he's still in the hunt for the Andalucía Valderrama Masters hosted by the Sergio García Foundation.

The world No 88 was three-under par for his second round and inside the top 10 playing the tight, par-four 18th.

But after getting out of position from the tee and missing the green by inches with his third, he made a closing six for a one-under 70.

Despite slipping back to tied 16th on level par, six shots behind Dutchman Joost Luiten, Lowry hopes he feels a little more comfortable from the tee in round three and can take a run at the leaders.

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"It was a good round of golf but to be honest, I didn't have my best stuff out there today," Lowry said after a six-birdie round on a day when Pádraig Harrington and Gary Hurley shot 73s.

The Dubliner, who complained that the ban on hitting drivers on the range might have contributed his double bogey at the second, shares 44th on three-over.

As for Hurley, he can chalk this one up to experience as he comfortably missed the four-over par cut.

Luiten leads by a shot from Sergio Garcia (71), Robert Rock (70) and Scott Jamieson (68) on six-under after a round that featured two birdies, four bogeys and a spectacular albatross two at the 11th - the first in tournament play on the hole

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There were almost as many ups and downs in Lowry's round, but he was not too downcast having struggled to ignore the cork oaks that line Valderrama's narrow fairways.

"I scrambled well and kept the ball in play, but just when you think you have this course [under control], it jumps up and bites you at the end," Lowry told Meridian Media's Denis Kirwan after his unfortunate finish.

"But listen, I probably would have taken level par after two rounds. I am right in the hunt only five or six behind."

Lowry made early birdies at the third and fifth and followed a bogey at the seventh with birdies at the ninth and 11th to get to two-under for the tournament.

He rebounded from back-to-back bogeys at the 13th and 14th with birdies at the 16th and 17th.

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Shane Lowry — 72-70, level par Denis Kirwan, Meridian Media

And while he was disappointed to give two shots back at the 18th, he is optimistic for the weekend.

"It's disappointing because par or even bogey on the last and you are shooting in the 60s, which is a good day around here," he said. "But like I said, level par for two rounds is alright."

Asked if birdies were "gold", he chuckled and said: "Pars are gold! Hopefully, I will hit it a little better off the tee tomorrow because I didn't feel very comfortable today. I might go and hit a few shots to try and sort that out."

Harrington also needs a confidence boost with the driver, but he won't get it at Valderrama where the Tour has banned use of the club on a practice ground that only measures 300 yards if you hit diagonally from one corner to the other.

Drivers are banned on the range at Valderrama this week. Image: Google

"It was a bit of a struggle," the 46-year-old said after closing with a soft bogey at the downwind ninth.

"I'm not creating many chances out there. It didn't help things that you can't hit drivers on the range, and I hit a bad drive to start off on the second hole, and I never felt comfortable for the rest of the day. That's my excuse anyway."

The three-time major winner felt the Tour might have lifted the driver ban on the range, given the cool morning conditions and the wind direction.

"There was no reason not to," he said. "We couldn't hit our drivers out of the range this morning because it was cold and into the wind, so honestly, it wasn't a great.

"I could understand if we were hitting it out of the range, but we weren't. At least, I wasn't anyway."

The Dubliner birdied the 17th but bogeyed the 18th to turn in 37 before following eighth successive pars on the back nine with a closing bogey.

"I did what I had to do," he added. "You are never happy when you bogey the last hole, and it was downwind and a pretty easy hole.

"I had a good chance to get up and down on the second last hole as well. So it was a disappointing finish.

"I felt I could have got it back to level par for the day and finishing two-over par leaves a little bit of a sour taste."

Harrington at least made the cut, unlike playing partner and world No 5 Jon Rahm, who shot rounds of 74 and 75 to miss the cut by two strokes on his professional debut in Spain.

"He's a strong lad, and he can hit all the shots," Harrington said of Rahm's game. "This course certainly didn't suit his style of play. But I am sure every time he plays a course like this he will get better as a player.

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Padraig Harrington, 72-73, +3 Denis Kirwan, Meridian Media

"He is certainly a fine striker of the ball and a good putter, and you get him on a stadium golf course, and he'd be hard at it.

"But then again he managed his way around the links at Portstewart, so he obviously knows what he's doing too. It just wasn't his week."

As for the weekend, Harrington knows he needs to hit more fairways to have any chance of making a move.

"It's always a target to shoot as low as possible," he said. "It doesn't look like I have it in me at the moment so we will wait and see."

Shane Lowry was frustrated by closing double bogey but knows that even six shots off the lead he's still in the hunt for the Andalucía Valderrama Masters.

The world No 88 was three-under par for his second round and inside the top 10 playing the tight 18th, but after getting out of position and missing the green by inches with his third, he made a closing six for a one-under 70.

Despite slipping back to tied 16th on level par, six shots behind Dutchman Joost Luiten, Lowry hopes he feels a little more comfortable from the tee in round three and can take a run at the leaders.

"It was a good round of golf but to be honest, I didn't have my best stuff out there today," Lowry said after a six-birdie round on a day when Pádraig Harrington and Gary Hurley shot 73s.

The Dubliner, who complained that the ban on hitting drivers on the range cost him a double bogey at the second, shares 45th on three-over but after his opening 80, Hurley comfortably missed the five-over par cut.

Luiten leads by a shot from Sergio Garcia (71), Robert Rock (70) and Scott Jamieson (68) on six-under after a round that featured two birdies, four bogeys and a spectacular albatross two at the 11th.

There were almost as many ups and downs in Lowry's round, but he was not too downcast having struggled at times to find Valderrama's narrow fairways.

"I scrambled well and kept the ball in play, but just when you think you have this course [under control], it jumps up and bites you at the end," Lowry said of his day

"But listen, I probably would have taken level par after two rounds. I am right in the hunt only five or six behind."

Lowry made early birdies at the third and fifth and followed a bogey at the seventh with birdies at the ninth and 11th to get to two-under for the tournament.

He showed no little determination, rebounding from back-to-back bogeys at the 13th and 14th with birdies at the 16th and 17th.

And while he was disappointed to give two shots back at the 18th, he is optimistic for the weekend.

"It's disappointing because par or even bogey on the last and you are shooting in the 60s, which is a good day around here," he said at the 18th. But like I said, level par for two rounds is alright."