Shane Lowry might be disappointed to have missed out on a record major championship score of 61 but when he looks at the leaderboard and sees his name near the top he will be delighted.
Lowry rocketed up the leaderboard with a record equalling 62 to reach 13- under and at the time of writing he is one behind Xander Schauffele at the PGA Championship in Valhalla.
Teeing off eight shots off the pace, the Clara man roared out of the traps with four successive birdies from the 2nd before birdies on 7 and 9 saw him turn in a sumptuous 29 to put him firmly in the mix for a second major title.
While Rory McIlroy made a front nine charge but fell away coming home, Lowry sustained his challenge with birdies on 13, 14 and 17 on a day where he holed over 150 feet of putts.
That left the former Open champion needing a closing birdie for a major record round of 61. A good drive, lay up and a neat wedge to ten feet set up a history making moment but his putt died of pace and missed on the low side.
More to follow…