PGA Tour: Why Shane Lowry desperately wanted to win Cognizant Classic

Shane Lowry says his collapse at the Cognizant Classic was even tougher to endure as he wanted to enjoy a winning moment with his daughter. 

Lowry, 38, looked set for victory at PGA National on Sunday but came unstuck in dramatic fashion down the stretch. 

The European Ryder Cup star led by three strokes with three holes to play but made back-to-back double bogeys at the 16th and 17th to torpedo his chances. 

In the end, Lowry was forced to settle for a share of second with Americans Taylor Moore and Austin Smotherman. 

"I'm obviously extremely disappointed," he said. 

"I had the tournament in my hands, and I threw it away. What more can I say? That's twice this year now so far. I'm getting good at it.

"Yeah, look, what can I say? I played unbelievable all day, and one bad shot on 16 completely threw me for the last three holes. It's never happened to me before.

"I said to Darren [Reynolds, his caddie], how do I feel like this now when I went through what I did last September in Bethpage and got through that fine."

Lowry was alluding to the fact he secured the crucial half point in his Sunday singles contest against Russell Henley to retain the Ryder Cup. 

He added: "I just felt like it was weird out there; I just really ... yeah, just couldn't feel the club face the last three holes then after my tee shot on 16. It was strange.

"What can I say? It's very disappointing. Geez, this is going to be hard to take. Dubai was hard at the start of the year, but this is going to be pretty hard.

Lowry's first child, Iris, watched her father win The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in 2019 as a toddler but the golfer's second daughter, Ivy, is yet to watch her dad enter the winner's circle. 

"I wanted it so bad," he said. 

"Just to see her little ginger hair running down the 18th green would have been the most special thing in the world. I thought I had it. I thought I was going to win.

"I didn't get ahead of myself, but I felt so comfortable out there, and then yeah, tried to get a lot out of my 3-iron on 16 and did the only thing I couldn't really do."

This is not the first time Lowry has endured heartache at PGA National. 

In 2022, Lowry needed a birdie on the final hole to force a play-off but was forced to settle for second place once again. 

Back then, Lowry said he felt like the tournament was "stolen" from him as heavy rain and wind arrived at the 18th. 

Up ahead, eventual champion Sepp Straka was able to make an "easy" birdie in far more favourable conditions. 

"That was as bad a break as I've ever got," Lowry previously said. 

Lowry was also forced to lick his wounds earlier this season after blowing a lead at the Dubai Invitational. 

He led by one stroke heading into the final hole, but a wayward bunker shot flew past the flag and into the lake. 

It handed Spain's Nacho Elvira the title. 

Lowry is back in action this week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. 

He's also playing in the exclusive Seminole Pro-Member.