Shane Lowry comes unexpectedly close to breaking Valhalla course record at the 2024 PGA Championship

Shane Lowry was not among the main favorites to contend for the 2024 PGA Championship title. However, the Irishman climbed 25 places on the leaderboard and is now tied for fourth place with Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland after a surprising third round.

Lowry brought out his best game during the so-called "Moving Day" and made nine birdies with no bogeys for an extraordinary score of 9 under 62. In fact, the Irishman tied the Valhalla Golf Club lowest score record, set by Xander Schauffele two days ago.

Shane Lowry even came close to bettering the record, as he had an 11-foot, 10-inch putt for birdie on the 18th hole. Had he made it, he would have left his score for the day at 61.

Shane Lowry fell short by four inches and joined Xander Schauffele as the course record holder.

The Valhalla course record was not the only mark Shane Lowry equaled or achieved on Saturday. His score of 62 equals the lowest score record for the PGA Championship and, in fact, for all majors. It is also his career lowest round.

Shane Lowry has played 38 rounds in stroke play format on the PGA Tour during 2024 and has carded only 13 scores in the 60s. Prior to Saturday, his lowest score of the season was 66, which he had shot three times.

Diving deep in Shane Lowry's third round at the 2024 PGA Championship

Shane Lowry after a putt at the PGA Championship

Lowry started the third round of the PGA Championship at full throttle, with six birdies in the first nine holes. Lowry parred the 1st, after which he birdied the next four in a row. He closed with par - birdie - par - par - birdie to turn in 6-under 29.

This was another record for Lowry on the day. His score of 29 on the front nine was the lowest nine-hole score at the PGA Championship since Brad Faxon scored 28 in the 1995 edition.

Lowry continued his good pace on the back nine, making par on the first three holes, back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14 and one more birdie on 17.

Lowry's success in the round was based mainly on his putter in hand performance. The Irishman earned 6.074 strokes with his putting, thanks to using only 1.43 putts per green in regulation.

Lowry was so tight with his putter during Moving Day that he did not 3-putt on any hole and only 2-putted six holes. In addition, he did not miss any putts of 20 feet or less, and even made some spectacular ones, such as the 37-foot putt for birdie on the 13th and the 32-foot putt for birdie on the 14th.