Shane Lowry in line for biggest payday of his career at Tour Championship

Scottie Scheffler opens five-shot lead at East Lake with strong finish

Shane Lowry of Ireland hits from a fairway bunker on the seventh hole at East Lake. Photograph: Erik S Lesser/EPA
Shane Lowry of Ireland hits from a fairway bunker on the seventh hole at East Lake. Photograph: Erik S Lesser/EPA

Shane Lowry is in line for the biggest payday of his career as he lies eighth after three rounds of the Tour Championship, the final tournament of the FedEx Cup playoffs and the PGA Tour season.

Lowry shot a six-under-par 65 at East Lake on day three to move up five places into the top 10 on 13 under, 13 shots behind the leader Scottie Scheffler.

Scheffler birdied four of his last five holes to ensure he takes a five-shot lead into the final round over Collin Morikawa.

Lowry will win $2.25 million if he stays in eighth, which is more than the $2 million he got for finishing in the Comcast Top 10 for regular season performance, and the $1.94 million he got for winning the Open Championship in 2019.

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The Offaly man has earned $8,095,881 on the PGA Tour this season so far, with a victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with Rory McIlroy and a third place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational his best finishes. Lowry has had six top 10s on the tour.

Lowry is four shots off third place held by Sahith Theegala, where he could win $7.5 million if he finished there, with $6 million for fourth, $5 million for fifth, $3.5 million for sixth, $2.75 million for seventh and $2 million for ninth.

Scheffler is set to win the $25 million winner’s prize, with Morikawa chasing and currently on course for a prize of $12.5 million. Morikawa is the only player within nine shots of the world number one having also finished strongly with three birdies in the last four holes at East Lake for a 67.

McIlroy is tied for 10th, 15 strokes off the pace, after adding a 68 to his opening rounds of 69.

David Gorman

David Gorman

David Gorman is a sports journalist with The Irish Times