Scottie Scheffler and Shane Lowry share lead at PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational

Scottie Scheffler, the top-ranked player in the world and Shane Lowry from Ireland demonstrated their ability to conquer challenging windy conditions during the third round of the US PGA Tour Arnold Palmer Invitational. As a result, they both emerged as joint leaders.

Scheffler, the winner of the 2022 Masters, and Lowry, who claimed victory at the 2019 British Open, both shot a two-under par 70 in the third round at Bay Hill in Orlando, bringing their total score to nine-under 207 after 54 holes.

Wyndham Clark, the reigning US Open champion, secured the third spot with a score of 208, closely followed by fellow Americans Will Zalatoris and Russell Henley, as well as Japan's Hideki Matsuyama, who all finished on 209.

Scheffler and Lowry were part of a group of six players who shared the lead after 36 holes, and they demonstrated great composure in challenging conditions throughout their rounds.

"I displayed a lot of patience on the course," Scheffler commented. "Playing here can be quite difficult, especially when the winds are strong. Making putts and getting the ball close to the hole becomes a tough task."

"I'm proud of how I finished and I managed to stay patient," he added.

Lowry made a late surge, recovering from a bogey on the par-3 14th hole with birdie putts from three feet on the par-5 16th and 32 feet on the par-3 17th.

"I sank a nice putt on the 17th, although I didn't feel entirely comfortable with it throughout the day. The conditions were challenging out there," Lowry explained.

"When you're left with 25-footers for birdie, you're just aiming to get it close, because those 4-footers on these greens are quite tricky, especially in windy conditions."

Playing in windy conditions can be quite challenging, especially when it comes to putting. Today was no exception. Despite feeling like I made some solid putts, it seemed like I just couldn't get them to drop.

Securing that crucial putt on the 17th hole was a great relief. I was genuinely pleased with that moment. Overall, I am extremely satisfied with how I performed today.

Scheffler managed to bounce back from a bogey at the second hole with a birdie at the fourth, but struggled with bogeys at the fifth and ninth due to missed greens on his approach shots.

Following a 16-foot birdie putt at the 10th, Scheffler continued to battle, responding to a bogey at the 11th with birdies at the 12th and 13th holes. He then sunk a 15-foot birdie at the 15th, followed by a tap-in birdie at the 16th, finishing with two consecutive pars.

"It's always satisfying to see those putts go in," Scheffler commented. "The windy conditions made it tough out there. I just focused on making good putts and staying patient, and I believe I managed to do that well."

Although Lowry struggled with back-to-back bogeys towards the end of the front nine, he made a strong comeback with birdies at the 11th and 12th holes.

Finding his putting rhythm late in the round, he positioned himself in the final group, reminiscent of his performance last Sunday at the Cognizant Classic where he finished in a tie for fourth place.

Lowry expressed his motivation for getting out of bed in the morning, which is to compete against the best players in the world. He is excited and eagerly anticipates the opportunity. He plans to focus on his own performance and hopes to improve upon his previous performance.

Rory McIlroy had a strong finish on the back nine, scoring a 30. Despite this, he acknowledges the need for a better start and admits that he hasn't played well on the front nine throughout the week.

McIlroy achieved a remarkable feat by driving the 10th green at Bay Hill, leading to a series of birdies on the back nine. He was pleasantly surprised by his tee shot and is pleased to have played well on the back nine, which helped him stay competitive in the tournament.