Shane Lowry shook off a “disappointing” short par miss to card a five-under-par 66 on Saturday and join David Skinns and Austin Eckroat atop the leaderboard at the PGA Tour’s Cognizant Classic.
Lowry, who finished runner-up at PGA National in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida in 2022, had a 13-under-par total of 200.
English journeyman Skinns carded a bogey-free five-under par 66 and Eckroat posted a 68 to join him there – three strokes ahead of a group of five players on 10-under 203.
South Africa’s Garrick Higgo slipped to a share of 11th position after a round of 73 left him on eight-under 205, while countryman Erik van Rooyen is six-under 207 (T31) after shooting 70.
Ireland’s Lowry, chasing his first global title since the 2022 BMW PGA Championship on the DP World Tour, got off to a hot start with birdies at the 1st, 3rd and 4th.
A birdie at the 10th gave him the solo lead at 12 under, but he missed a three-foot par putt at 13 to fall one back as Eckroat birdied 13.
“Thirteen was very disappointing,” Lowry said. “I was very proud of myself after that because sometimes I can lose it a little bit when I miss a short putt like that.
“I was very happy with how I reacted after that,” added Lowry, who rolled in a seven-foot birdie putt at the 16th and got up and down from a greenside bunker for a birdie at the par-five 18th.
Lowry, whose Open triumph and a 2015 WGC Bridgestone crown give him two PGA Tour titles, owns four other DP World Tour titles besides and has to be considered the favourite among the leading trio.
But he said he wouldn’t take anything for granted on Sunday.
“If my best is good enough tomorrow, that will be amazing,” Lowry said.
Skinns and Eckroat are each chasing a first Tour title.
Skinns (42) launched his day with a 22-foot birdie at the 1st hole and grabbed his fifth birdie of the day at 18, where he, like Lowry and Eckroat, picking up a shot from the greenside bunker.
“Really pleased,” Skinns said, adding that he was “excited” to be in contention.
“I’ve just been waiting a long time to be in this spot,” he said. “You want to feel those juices. You want to be there on Sunday. That’s why you put in all those hours when nobody is watching, and I’ve put in a lot of hours, and I’m pleased I get to see what it will be like on Sunday.”
Eckroat (25) is trying to improve on his previous best Tour finish, runner-up at the Byron Nelson last May.
He was delighted to get his birdie at the last and join the leading group.
“I saw that the other two guys made birdie, and it’s just a different mindset when you’re going into the next day if you’re one shot back versus if you’re tied with the guys,” he said. “Happy about it.”
World No 2 Rory McIlroy was closing in on the leaders after birdies at the 10th, 12th and 13th, but he slid back with a bogey at 15 and a triple-bogey seven at the 16th – where he tried to hit out of the shallows of the water hazard only for his ball to hit the bank and roll back in.
McIlroy carded a one-over par 72 that left him six-strokes adrift on seven under.
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