Shane Lowry needs a strong showing at this week's BMW Championship after falling outside the top 30 in the FedEx Cup rankings, and he has delivered early on with an impressive opening round of five under par.
Lowry began at a canter during his first nine holes, firing in one birdie and eight pars, but found his stride on his second nine with three birdies and an eagle. Even a disappointing bogey on 18 failed to dampen what was a much needed performance.
The eagle came on the par 5 14th, courtesy of a doozy of a putt from 56 feet. That put the Clara man near the top of the leaderboard on five under par before a birdie on the 17th and a bogey five on the last, which, at the time of writing, leaves him in a tie for third and two shots off leader Keegan Bradley .
Monster Eagle From Shane Lowry
Eagle putt to get -5 @ShaneLowryGolf @Horizon_Sports pic.twitter.com/BSv8ep61m0
— Johnny Long Hall (@sunnysidejohnn1) August 18, 2022
SEE ALSO: Shane Lowry Takes Private Jet Back To PGA Tour After Leaving Too Early
Lowry's playing partner Seamus Power was not so hot and could only muster an even par round of 71, to leave himself in a tie for 35th.
Power did finish well however, after finding himself three over par after 11 holes. After a double bogey six on the 11th he finished his final seven holes in three under par.
Like Shane Lowry, Power has also fallen just outside the top 30 in the FedEx Cup rankings, and will need a strong showing this week if he is to make next week's Tour Championship.
Rory McIlroy is currently three under through five holes of his first round, making a blistering start on a course that has been touted to suit his game.
McIlroy does not have to worry about Tour Championship qualification as he lies safely in ninth place in the FedEx Cup rankings.
SEE ALSO: Rory McIlroy Adamant That Tiger Woods Is Still The 'Alpha' In Golf
