Shane Lowry is one shot off the lead after the second round of the Truist Championship in Philadelphia, with defending champion and star attraction Rory McIlroy just five shots behind halfway leader Keith Mitchell.
The latter carded a 67 in cool and soggy conditions in the no-cut field to move to 12 under par.
However, it was the round of Lowry which really caught the eye.
The Offaly man registered birdies in four of his first eight holes before recording the sole bogey of his round on the 10th hole.
Better to be lucky than good 🍀🍀🍀 pic.twitter.com/TtKVkqfRus
— Shane Lowry (@ShaneLowryGolf) May 9, 2025
The response to the setback was impressive, with the 38-year-old rifling a putt home from 53 feet on 11, even though it was an effort that could easily have zipped well by its intended target.
Another birdie followed on the 15th, moving Lowry to 11 under after a 65, which was the lowest round of the day.
After his round, Lowry admitted to an ability to cope with the playing conditions in a manner that many of his rivals can't, even if he doesn't relish them.
"Everyone says that to me every day when it rains," Lowry said. "I live in South Florida, and I plan to be there now.
"No, I think I'm able to handle them probably better than a few people, but I don’t particularly like or enjoy going out and playing in these conditions, but yeah, I handle them well."
Austria's Sepp Straka, on 10 under, sits in third, while McIlroy made six birdies and three bogeys to occupy a six-way tie at seven under.
"Even when I feel like I haven't played my best, I find a way," McIlroy told the official PGA Tour website.
"I think that’s when I talk about being a more complete golfer, if one part of my game isn’t on, then I can maybe lean into another part, like today holing quite a few putts and making my score that way rather than hitting the ball unbelievably well."
McIlroy said he made some "uncharacteristic mistakes" on Friday and vowed to clean up, but still carded 66-67 in the opening two rounds to give himself a chance of holding on to his title.
The US PGA Championship takes place at Quail Hollow, where the world number two has won four times, which has forced the Truist Championship to move to Philadelphia Cricket Club.
