Shane Lowry fit Truist champion wins 2 obstacles

Flourtown, Pennsylvania – The PGA Tour's return to Philadelphia has some of the things to do in the Wissahickon course at Philadelphia Cricket Club.

But as the dust settled after 54 holes, as the Pennsylvania sun disappeared: Shane Lowry, everything pointed to a player holding up the cricket club trophy.

A month ago, Rory McIlroy ended his major drought in an exciting way at the 2025 Masters. Justin Thomas beat Andrew Novak in the playoffs of the Royal Bank of Canada legacy to win the first victory in nearly three years.

Like McIlroy and Thomas, Lowry was in his own drought.

Lowry and McIlroy won the 2024 Zurich Classic, but it has been 972 days since Lowry won the solo event. That was the 2022 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Golf Club on the DP World Tour. He has not won the PGA tour since the 2019 Royal Open Championships.

Like McIlroy and Thomas, Lowry's stripes should end.

Lowry will enter Sunday's final round after shooting 3-under 67 on Saturday and tied for Sepp Straka with 14-under. In three rounds, Lowry leads with a stroke: Getting Approach and Stroke: T-shirt to Green. He rose on Saturday as McIlroy, Colin Morikava, Patrick Cantley and others were trapped in neutral or accompanied himself out of the game.

The exciting atmosphere, route and narrative of the PGA Tour's 2025 season all say it's what Lowry celebrated in front of the crowd, and each round seems to be adopting him more and more.

But it's not easy. More and more, especially when you have been nearly 1000 days since your last victory. Lowry's most important task on Sunday will break the wall he's been hitting for 972 days.

“I just think you need to persevere,” Laurie said Saturday. “You need to keep putting yourself there and it will happen eventually. A few weeks ago, you watched Rory at the Masters. Keep knocking on the door and you will go through it eventually. I feel like last season, last season I did a great job.

“I played great golf this year. I'm happy with the way I played this week and I'll go out and do my best. If that's great, that's great.”

Lowry competed for himself at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am but lost to McIlroy. He had the chance to enter the weekend at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Valspar Championships, but gradually disappeared. Even in the Masters, Lowry was a factor until Sunday 81.

Even for elite players, victory is difficult.

Lowry's mission on Sunday's Golden Age Gem will face challenges.

It was an unfamiliar test that has changed identity as the first three days of the game changed, including a change in green speed, confusing Saturday's pros.

“They need almost different strategies or ways of thinking [each day],” Laurie said.

Straka, who has a lead, finished sixth in the closest race, won the win this year at American Express.

Straka performed well this week, but Justin Thomas was three shots behind.

The world's fifth scratch and shot 4 shots 66 on Saturday. Thomas won new victories and a surge in confidence in his mind, and the presence on the rankings will make Lowry’s drought end mission even more difficult.

“It's probably my game and the belief and belief about where everything is,” Thomas said of Saturday's confidence level. “It's not just a coincidence. I do think it's something you can do your best, become more positive in thinking about your own way, and good things will happen.

“It's just trying to bring my game to a place close to it now that I believe I just need to play golf. Don't do anything special, don't force this problem, just try to make things happen more often.”

Lowry knows that Thomas and Keith Mitchell (11 bottom) and hideki matsuyama (10 bottom) are all within amazing distances.

But Sunday will be about Lowry, who said he has “kicked” since the 2023 Ryder Cup held in Rome and is ready to use the trophy as a reward for his hard work.

He knows how to win. Even if it has been a while, this feeling will never leave you. Each player's approach to the last round of cauldron is different.

For Lowry, the message is simple in 972 days since the last victory: it's Shane Lowry.

“Just letting myself do myself and play the game,” Laurie said. “I think if I make myself me tomorrow, I can achieve what I want to achieve. It's a fun old game. Obviously, the best players in the world aren't too far behind us. So, yes, I'll do my best.”