Greensboro, NC …
Shane Lowry and former Irish Open winner, Soren Kjeldsen are literally ‘feeding’ off each other.
The duo and their respective caddies are sharing a house for this week’s Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina.
And between them they are a combined 17-under par through two rounds of the $US 5.8m event.
After opening on Thursday with a three under 67, Lowry donned the cook’s apron on Thursday in preparing a meal of sushi for waiting for Kjeldsen and his caddy who returned to the house later on day one after a one under par 69.
The Dane was out early on day two and with Kjeldsen in sizzling form in the stifling conditions and not dropping a shot in a seven-under 63 to move to eight-under par and just five adrift of the American duo of Ryan Armour (61) and Webb Simpson (64) who head the field at 13-under.
Shane Lowry looking confident and talking confident and well in contention at the Wyndham Championship.
Lowry was not sure what Kjeldsen had on the table for dinner but the Clara golfer was clearly delighted walking from the Sedgefield course just after 5pm local time with a six-under 64 and move inside the top-10 at nine under.
Lowry said he ignited his second round at the par five, fifth hole where he two-putted from 40-feet for birdie.
He then birdied the ninth after playing a wedge from the rough, and after flying the pin with his second only to see his all spin back to 10-feet to the front of the flag.
Lowry then managed birdies at 11, 12 15 and at the par three 16th where he landed his tee shot to six feet and knocked in the birdie putt.
The Irishman’s effort of a 64 is one shot fewer than a 65 he posted on day two of the event last year where he made his Greensboro debut in finishing T42nd.
“I was only four-under for the tournament after that birdie on five so I knew I needed to do something,” he said.
“Then I hit a good shot and got really lucky as it nearly went over the green but spun back down to 10-feet and I holed and then had a couple of birdies in a row at 11 and 12 and really kicked-on from there.
“And it was just nice also to hole that 15-footer for par at the last as I got a ‘flyer’ on my second shot and didn’t get all of it so I was short of the green from where I chipped and managed to knock in the par.”
Lowry arrived in Greensboro for a second straight year on a mission. A year ago, it was striving to qualify for the European Ryder Cup team and this year it is to force his way into next week’s start to the FedEx Cup Play-Off Series.
He teed-up lying 145th on the standings and now heading to day three he is projected to move up to 130th but that will still be five places shy of his goal.
“I know what I need to do and having played the PGA Championship last week well, I feel like I have been playing well,” he said.
“I am managing to hole a nice few putts and that is going to be a strong key now over the weekend.
“I said to Soren this week, as we are sharing a house, that I would not be surprised if someone does shoot a 59 as we have already seen two 61s and that is how the course is playing.”
Lowry is clearly sounding confident and he quickly agreed with that assessment.
“Yes, I am feeling confident and it has been a while since I have talked and felt like this as my game is in good shape and all I need to do, is go out and do it.
“I am not under too much pressure and if I do qualify for next week it would be but it is not the end of the world but in saying that I would love to get into next week.
“And if I do play my way into next week it will be a real sense of achievement for me because I was really behind the 8-ball coming into this week, and in saying there is also a golf tournament to be won and being only four back with 36 holes to play it is still anyone’s tournament.
“So, this week has also been good timing for me on top of revealing last week that Wendy and I are looking to rent a house over here in the States.”
And after the delight of posting two good rounds and to be lying just four shots off the leading pace Lowry was certainly also looking forward to a good evening meal.
“Soren and I are 17-under for our house and I watching his score yesterday as he was three-over after 12 holes so I had a nice bit of sushi for him and Basel (caddy) last night when they came home,” he said.
“I am a good house husband (smiling) so I am not sure what we are having tonight but at 17-under for the two of us it should be enjoyable”.
