Dubai, UAE …... Shane Lowry rekindled his Open Championship winning form with a gutsy 69 to be just five shots off the lead heading to the weekend rounds of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
Lowry buried any lingering demons in missing the cut in last week’s defence of his Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship defence with four birdies, and none better than a 20-footer at his second hole to move to three-under on a toughened Emirates course.
England’s Eddie Pepperell (67) heads the field at eight-under par and a shot clear of defending champ Bryson DeChambeau (67), Sweden’s Robert Karlsson (68) and South African Dean Burmester (68).
DeChambeau ended his round struggling with a head cold and was intent after a short practice putting session to head back to his hotel and hoping to arrange a sauna.
Burmester is struggling with a right ankle injury and sustained on Wednesday afternoon when the Uber hired car his wife, 4-year old son and himself slammed into the back of a stationary Porsche.
No such concern for Lowry who pulled off the shot of his round in holing a 20-footer for birdie at the par-4 sixth hole, and straight after a bogey on five, for the first of four birdies in his round.
Lowry then birdied seven to make the turn in one-under and then moved to two-under at the par-3 11th in holing a 20-footer and he then birdied 17.
“It was a great day’s work and I’m very pleased,” said Lowry.
“I just drove the ball a lot better today and that was the key. It was also a lot easier out there today than compared to yesterday morning’s conditions with the course playing, I would say, at least four shots easier.”
Lowry began the New Year with a superb second-place finish in the Asian’s Tour’s Hong Kong Open and while he was clearly disappointed in Abu Dhabi to miss the cut, and as evident by his quick clubhouse departure, it was not the scenario in Dubai.
The World No. 19 signed autographs, happily agreed to ‘selfies’ while one Irish punter managed to coerce Lowry into conveying a ‘Periscope’ 65-years old birthday message to his father back in Dublin.
There was also a half-a-dozen, attractive-looking women who managed to catch Lowry’s eye for a group photo.
“I’ve been around long enough to know that you are going to have good weeks and you are going to have bad weeks where you are going to miss the cut,” he said.
“So, it was important for me to go out there today and be patient, and try and shoot the best score I could.
“Looking at the leader-board I am only five shots off the lead. I am not trying to force it and the key, as I said, is to be patient and I am proud I managed to do that.
“The thing is that the way the course is playing so tough over the outward nine, you can birdie the last three and all of a sudden it is a good day.”
Joining Lowry over the weekend is fellow Open Champion Padraig Harrington who posted an eighth hole double-bogey and then a ninth hole bogey in a score of 75 to make the cut right on the two-over par.
Sadly, Graeme McDowell’s return to the European Tour ended, and in contrast to Harrington and Lowry, in missing the cut by a shot with scores of 72 and 73 for a three-over par tally.
G Mac was comfortably inside the cut until he bogeyed three of his closing four holes.
McDowell intends to remain in Dubai over the weekend to work on his game before heading to Saudi Arabi Monday for next week’s second edition of the Saudi Invitational.
