McIlroy and Lowry Take Second, Seek Repeat Win

Rory McIlroy sinks a 30-foot eagle putt to boost his and Shane Lowry's chances in the Zurich Classic. Find out more about their title bid.

Rory McIlroy stole the show in the third round of the PGA Zurich Classic, sinking a 30-foot eagle putt on the 18th green despite a 90-minute storm delay. The 35-year-old from Northern Ireland, fresh from his Masters triumph, carded an 11-under par 61 alongside Shane Lowry.

McIlroy attributed his ability to handle the delay to staying relaxed, saying, “I think the secret is not thinking about it in those 90 minutes. We had a bit of lunch and we were watching some highlights from last year and talking about where we're going to go for dinner.” His clutch putt helped McIlroy and Lowry take the lead in the tournament.

Rory McIlroy downplayed thinking about his crucial eagle putt during the delay, saying, “The last thing on my mind during the delay was the putt, and then once I got back out there, I sort of concentrated on it and made sure I did what I needed to do and just a bonus for it to go in.”

Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin held a five-stroke lead over McIlroy and Shane Lowry. The American duo carded a 61, putting them at 22-under 194 after 54 holes. Griffin praised their teamwork, saying, “We ham and egged it really well. Andrew got hot on the front nine. Then the back I saved him when he needed me.”

Rory McIlroy's impressive eagle on the final hole boosted his and Shane Lowry's chances of a repeat win. Lowry expressed his confidence in their skills heading into Sunday's alternate-shot format.

Lowry was thrilled with McIlroy's finish, saying, “I was pretty happy to have Rory go out and eagle the last. It makes dinner taste nicer and puts us in a great position going into tomorrow.”

“We played pretty well. There was a lot of holes where both of us had chances. We went out and we did what we had to do.

“The foursomes is really the part of this week we feel like we can pick up some ground on the field. So just go out and play like we have been, play our own game, and give it a good run tomorrow.”

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry are chasing significant victories, with McIlroy seeking his 30th PGA title and Lowry his fourth. The duo has made four eagles this week, including a crucial one on the 18th hole after a delay.

Lowry praised McIlroy's composure after the storm delay, saying, “To have that delay and then come out, I was just happy he got the speed. From the side it looked in all the way.”

It didn't take long for McIlroy to analyse the putt, either.

“I wasn't concerned so much because I'd say the first two-thirds of the putt was sort of downhill, so there was never really concern of getting the ball to the hole,” McIlroy said.

“It was just a matter of picking the right line and just starting it on that. Quite a comfortable putt, a little bit of left to right early, a bit of right to left at the end, overall not a ton of swing in it.

“Knew I'd hit it with the right speed. As long as it didn't take too much right-to-left at the end, which it didn't, it was perfect.”