For just the fifth time ever -- and the second time this week -- a player has scored 62 in a major championship round. Shane Lowry becomes the fourth man in the history of professional golf to card the coveted figure, scoring nine birdies in a bogey-free third round at the 2024 PGA Championship.
Lowry joins Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler as golfers to achieve the feat in the last two years; it had only been accomplished once prior in major championship history. Schauffele most recently posted a 62 just this week as he jumped out to the lead at Valhalla Golf Club by going low in the first round.
Schauffele and Fowler both previously scored 62 in the first round of the 2023 U.S. Open. The only golfer to do so before them was Branden Grace in the third round of the 2017 Open Championship.
After a par on his first hole, Lowry tacked on his first birdie when a 14-foot connection landed on No. 2. The Irishman was only getting started as the putts continued to fall. A 13-foot birdie on No. 3 was followed by an 18-foot conversion on No. 4 and a ho-hum 7 footer on No. 5.
He let his new putter take a bit of a breather when he two-putted from 60 feet for birdie on the par-5 7th. Lowry rounded out his front nine with a 17-foot birdie on the par-4 9th to turn in 6-under 29, catapulting his name onto the first page of the PGA Championship leaderboard in the process.
The 2019 Open champion failed to take advantage of the par-5 10th and the par-3 11th -- both of which were playing under par on Saturday -- however, he quickly made amends with a 37-foot birdie conversion on the short 12th and a 32-foot birdie bid on the long uphill par-3 13th.
A fist pump we've been waiting for! 💪
— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 18, 2024
Shane Lowry loves it too. #PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/BysfhGOeZ3
The two unlikely birdies put Lowry back on track to tie the major record, and he pulled ahead of pace a few holes later when he laced his approach into No. 17 inside 7 feet. He brushed it in and marched to the par-5 finisher where a birdie would give him the solo scoring record at 61.
After playing a little army golf up the fairway, Lowry placed his approach just inside 12 feet, giving himself an opportunity at breaking the record. However, unlike most of the day, Lowry's putt did not fall, and instead he had to settle for tying the record at 62.
After beginning the day eight strokes off the lead, Lowry walked off the 18th green at Valhalla one behind Schauffele, who still had holes to play. While Lowry may not hold the record by himself, he has given himself a chance to hold the Wanamaker Trophy come Sunday evening.
