Shane Lowry labelled his 70 on day three of the U.S. Open as the best level-par round he had ever shot after coming through the “absolute mental torture” of Pinehurst No. 2.
Lowry made the halfway cut on the mark of five over par and remained on that total after carding three birdies and three bogeys.
The national open of the United States is often regarded as golf's toughest test and it is living up that moniker this week, with punishing waste areas and lightning fast greens making life difficult for the world's best.
"It’s torture out there, honestly it’s absolute mental torture,” said Lowry. "That’s the best level par I’ve ever shot in my life.
“Every single shot you have, even when you hit a good shot the putts you have, it’s brutally difficult.
“You’re standing in the middle of the fairway on par fours with an eight iron in hand and you’re like ‘Right, where will I miss this’ instead of thinking where will I hit it.
“It’s not much craic out there to be honest.
“It’s obviously firmer than it was last few days. It’s way windier. The wind’s in a different direction so some of the par fours are really long. You really just have to manage your way well around there and I did a great job today.”
Just another example of how good @ShaneLowryGolf's short game is 🤩#USOpen pic.twitter.com/uK1G7iyPR8
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 15, 2024
Lowry began the day with a bogey on the first, but birdied the sixth and holed a bunker shot for another on the seventh.
He was over par for the day after dropped shots on the eighth and 14th but holed from 17 feet on the 16th the move back level.
“My first hole of the day I hit two lovely shots to the middle of the green and had 40 feet for birdie and I thought I could easily putt this into the bunker,” he added.
“So I left it 10 feet short and missed the next one. That’s kind of nearly what you have to do. You have to be very clever the way you go about your business."
