Former PGA Tour winner defends Shane Lowry after Irishman's collapse

Former PGA Tour winner turned commentator and analyst Smylie Kaufman says it's unfair to suggest Shane Lowry can't close golf tournaments but believes a pattern is emerging. 

For the second time this season, Lowry surrendered a lead on the 72nd hole. 

On Sunday, the 38-year-old led by three strokes with three holes remaining at the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches.

But he unravelled in dramatic fashion, making back-to-back double-bogeys at the 16th and 17th after finding the water twice. 

The collapse handed Nico Echavarria his third PGA Tour title and a spot in the 2026 Masters field. 

Lowry, who endured similar frustration at the Dubai Invitational in January, told reporters he was at a loss for words. 

He said he was getting quite good at throwing away tournaments. 

And his capitulation was all the more confusing given his previous heroics at the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black where he kept a cool head in a volatile atmosphere. 

Former PGA Tour winner Kaufman told the most recent edition of his podcast that he still believes it would be unfair to suggest Lowry can't close golf tournaments. 

Although a pattern is emerging, he said.  

"Let's go back to January, and Shane Lowry is in Dubai," said Kaufman. 

"He has a chance to win the golf tournament in Dubai by birdieing the last hole. Par gets him into a playoff. He makes double bogey. 

"He's now just converted a 54-hole lead one of six times. He's won three PGA Tour events, one with Rory McIlroy that's most recent. 

"Obviously, the most recent individual one he won was 2019 at The Open Championship. It's definitely something now that's going to be the monkey on his back."

He added: "When it comes to closing golf tournaments, Shane Lowry had the most important putt last September to secure the point, so to say that he can't do it is quite unfair. 

"But we also have to look at what we've seen and say hey, there seems to be a pattern here.

"The only thing you can attribute those swings to, for a guy who's typically one of the most accurate drivers of the golf ball, one of the best iron players in the game; his approach to the green stats last year had him third, we're talking about a player whose strengths should be magnified down the stretch at PGA National, and the only thing you can attribute all that to is just pressure."

Lowry will have the opportunity to get back on the horse quickly. 

He is in the field for this week's Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

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