Shane Lowry should secure a Master invitation after sensationally taking the reigning Masters champ and proud Texas native Patrick Reed all the way to the 18th hole before a closing hole birdie helped square his match against next fortnight’s defending Augusta hero on day two of the WGC – Dell Technologies Match-Play in Austin, Texas.
The World No. 48 ranked Lowry, and needing to remain inside the top-50 on Sunday night to secure a return to the Masters for a first time in two years, stole the lead in going 1up at the first and while losing the next two holes to Reed, the Offlay golfer doggedly fought back to again go 1up winning the sixth and seventh holes on the Austin Country Club course.
Reed, and wearing his Tiger Woods-like red shirt, won the ninth, 10th and 12th holes three pars to go 2up but Lowry then birdied 13 to get back to 1-down only to lose 14 in taking a double-bogey after finding water with his second shot.
Lowry made amends with a 10-foot birdied at 15 to again be 1-down.
The duo halved 16 with par and then conceded each others par-saving putts on the par-3 17th to send the match down the last.
Lowry sent a booming 346-yard drive down the par-4 18th while Reed’s drive, and though a yard longer, found the left rough some 34-yards from the hole while Lowry was actually just 28-yards out.
Reed flew the green with his second to be 30-foot behind the flag while Lowry played a super wedge shot to just four-feet for his birdie ‘3’ winning putt and secure not only a gallant draw but a well-deserved result in a see-saw encounter from start-to-finish.
The drawn match against Reed should now assure Lowry a Masters invitation by staying inside the top-50 on the World Ranking points come Sunday night and will be cemented should he defeat Andrew Putman in his last round robin match later today (FRD).
