<p>Shane Lowry in action at the 2025 Masters Tournament</p>
Shane Lowry is emerging as one of the big favourites for next week’s US Open after he opened with an impressive six-under 64 in the RBC Canadian Open in Toronto.
The Offaly man has been in superb form all season, but while he has had two runner-up finishes amongst his four top-10s, he’s yet to get over the line.
That could change on the North Course at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, where he matched his usual tee to green brilliance with some inspired putting.
After scorching through his first 11 holes in a blistering six-under-par, he bogeyed the 12th after a wild drive, missed two good chances on the next three greens, but drained a 21-footer for an unlikely par at the 523-yard 17th before making a brilliant birdie four at the last.
He was just three strokes behind Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen, who shot a nine-under 61 to take the lead before being matched by Chile’s Cristobal del Solar at the top.
They led by a shot from Cameron Champ and by two from Jake Knapp on a day when morning showers relented for the afternoon starters.
Rory McIlroy trialled a new driver, but two closing bogeys left him tied for 119th after a 71 and battling to make the cut.
"I actually felt like I played okay,” said McIlroy, who may need to shoot 66 or 67 to make the weekend.
"There were a couple of shots in there, it was my first outing with a new driver, and I felt like that went pretty well.”
Séamus Power, meanwhile, withdrew at the turn with an undisclosed injury after following eight straight pars with a bogey at the ninth.
It was the West Waterford man’s first withdrawal since he pulled out with a back injury after 22 holes in last November’s RSM Classic in Georgia.
He needed to win Canada to qualify for the US Open, and also missed out on the chance to win one of three spots in The Open this week through the Open Qualifying Series.
He may still make it to Portrush, where Lowry will be the ‘defending’ champion following his 2019 win.
But the Clara man (38) is looking for more silverware in Canada, where his 64 left him tied for fifth with Rasmus Hojgaard, Trey Mullinax and Ricky Castillo after another confidence-boosting performance.
The Offaly man gave himself a seven-footer for an eagle at the first, but while he missed that, he made a nine-footer for birdie at the third before rolling in a 20-footer for another at the fifth.
He brushed in a five-footer for birdie at the sixth, then made a 15-footer at the eighth and narrowly failed from 13 feet for another at the ninth as he turned in five-under 30.
His long iron play is one of the strengths of his game, and he had just six inches for birdie at the 200-yard 11th, which he tapped in to go six-under.
After hitting 11 of his first 12 greens in regulation in the more benign afternoon conditions, he looked destined for a round in the low sixties.,
But he blasted his tee shot right at the tough, 522-yard, par-four 13th and made bogey.
He still gave himself chances coming in, but after putts failed to fall at the 14th and 15th, he made a 21-footer for an unlikely par following another pushed drive at the 17th.
Buoyed by that bonus, he hit a big drive and an exquisite long iron to 29 feet at the 573-yard 18th to set up a stress-free, two-putt birdie.
Article Link: Lowry lurking in Canada after brilliant opening 64 - News - Irish Golf Desk