Thrilling Pebble Beach Showdown: McIlroy and Lowry Hot on Straka's Trail

In an electrifying third round at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry find themselves just one stroke behind the leader, Sepp Straka. Both golfers posted impressive seven-under-par rounds of 65, solidifying their positions at 15 under overall, despite battling cold, wet, and windy conditions that tested their skills and determination.

Round Highlights

• Leader: Sepp Straka (Austria) -16
• Chasing Duo: Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland) and Shane Lowry (Republic of Ireland) -15
• Rounding Out the Top: Tom Kim (Korea), Cam Davis (Australia), and Justin Rose (England) -14
• Other Notables: Scottie Scheffler (USA) -10, showing signs of recovery after a hand injury.

Both McIlroy and Lowry demonstrated their prowess with an incredible start, each recording a hole-in-one during their first round. However, they faced difficulties in the second round, ending with respectable, yet underwhelming, 70s.

"Let's hope one of us does the business," remarked Lowry, expressing optimism for the final round on Sunday. The 37-year-old, along with 35-year-old McIlroy, shared a common bond as they were teammates representing Ireland at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

As they prepared for the final day, McIlroy emphasized his focus on improving his consistency: "It was a really good performance under poor weather conditions. One thing I'm trying to work on is playing more bogey-free rounds. It's all about being strategic and minimizing mistakes. Sometimes it feels a bit boring, but it definitely pays off."

Lowry, reflecting on the challenging weather, quipped, "I live in Florida for a reason! When the weather is like this, I avoid golfing. It reminds me of back home in Ireland when my clubs went unused during Christmas."

With just one round left, the stage is set for an exciting finish at Pebble Beach, as McIlroy and Lowry aim to turn their shared optimism into victory.