In a candid appraisal of the golfing prowess of one PGA Tour player during the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Brandel Chamblee lavished praises yet pointed out a notable flaw that has held this player back from claiming more tournament victories. The player under discussion was none other than the one who is nearly on par with Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler when it comes to wielding irons. Considering the exceptional iron skills of Woods and Scheffler, this is indeed a high accolade.
Chamblee’s focus was on Shane Lowry, whose five-under-par 67 on Friday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational pushed his overall score to eight under after a first-round score of 69. This commendable performance propelled Lowry to a prime position on the leaderboard as the weekend approached, increasing his chances of adding another win to his three PGA Tour victories.
Chamblee, in a reflection on Lowry’s remarkable second round at Bay Hill, drew parallels between Lowry’s iron play and that of Woods and Scheffler. Speaking on Golf Channel, he said, “Throughout his career and in the first two days, he’s been known as a very accurate ball striker. He’s not quite at the level of Justin Thomas, Tiger Woods or Scottie Scheffler with his irons, but he’s just thereabouts, he’s close.”
Chamblee’s praise for Lowry’s iron skills is well-deserved, for they have been consistently impressive since he joined the Tour a decade ago. However, the hurdle for the Irish golfer lies in crossing the finish line to secure a win.
Expanding on Lowry’s potential Achilles heel, Chamblee noted that while the 37-year-old is well-known for his lively personality and for clinching the Open Championship in Ireland, he is also remembered for his disappointing performance at the 2016 US Open where he led by 54-holes but ended with a 76 on Sunday.
Chamblee opined, “I wouldn’t call it an aberration. One can’t deny his ability to close the deal, but his track record hasn’t been stellar.” In 2024 alone, Lowry led three tournaments after either 36 or 54 holes, but each subsequent round was lackluster.
Golf expert Mark Rolfing echoed this sentiment, stating, “There are no weaknesses in his game except not being able to close it out when he gets there.” Since 2016, Lowry has been within three shots of the lead going into the final round 13 times on the PGA Tour and has only managed to secure one win, at the Royal Portrush.
Rolfing further pondered on Lowry’s inability to bring home the trophy, suggesting that Lowry’s approach to keeping his focus and not paying much attention to external factors needs to change as a tournament comes to a close. Perhaps, Rolfing conjectured, this is what’s holding Lowry back.
Unfortunately, Lowry’s inability to maintain his edge was evident once again during the Arnold Palmer Invitational, where his third round score of 76 (+4) saw him effectively fall out of contention.
