When Scheffler beat Shane Lowry at Bay Hill in 2024, the Irishman responded with words of appreciation to his wife. Now, on Saturday at PGA National, Lowry fired a 63 to lead the Cognizant Classic and found a funnier way to keep that generosity going, this time crediting the 4x major champion simply for not being in Florida.

When a reporter pointed out that Lowry leads every PGA Tour player in scoring under par on Florida courses over the last five years by a staggering 32 shots. His reply was nothing but a playful jab at World No.1. “Scottie doesn’t play that much around Florida, maybe?” the Irishman said with a laugh.

And there is some truth to that. Scottie Scheffler usually doesn’t go to the Cognizant Classic, as he manages his schedule to prioritize major preparation and signature events. The Cognizant Classic is scheduled between the Genesis Invitational and the Arnold Palmer Invitational, right before THE PLAYERS.

However, that 32-shot advantage did not happen overnight. When Lowry moved from Ireland to Florida, it was really hard for the golfer at first. He wasn’t used to the Bermuda grass, the grain, or how the putts broke differently than what he was used to.

“Yeah, I just like Florida golf. When I first moved here, I hated Florida golf, the grain, and Bermuda. Everything about it was tricky for me. Just from living down here and spending time down here, I’ve become better at it.”

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But over time, things changed. The 38-year-old learned the rules year after year and round after round. That change in thinking was already clear by 2022.

“I’m happy we’re in Florida, it’s harder here, and that’s why I like it,” he said during that year’s Honda Classic week at PGA National.

And his performances this week show that perfectly. He shot 70, 67, and 63, getting better every day. The 63 on Saturday was one of his best rounds of the season so far.

However, Scheffler’s absence at this event does not mean the two have avoided each other on big stages.

At the 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, Lowry and Scheffler shared the 54-hole lead heading into Sunday. Scheffler won, and after the round, Lowry walked up to Scheffler’s wife and said, “Your husband is amazing at golf, unfortunately for the rest of us.”

The two crossed paths again at the 2024 PGA Championship, where Lowry finished T6 and Scheffler finished T8, both well inside the top 10. Then, at The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in 2025, the pair were in the same playing group. A rules situation on the 12th hole, reviewed by Scheffler and Collin Morikawa alongside officials, turned Lowry’s 5 into a 7 due to a penalty. Scheffler spoke about it afterwards with genuine empathy.

“Ultimately, in golf it’s up to the player, and I felt like Shane was put in a pretty tough situation there,” he said.

That mutual respect between the two runs deep. Shane Lowry knows Scheffler is the best player in the world. But on Florida courses over the last five years, nobody has been better than the 38-year-old from Clara. Sunday at PGA National is his chance to finally turn those stats into a win.

The stats and the jokes aside, Lowry was equally keen to reflect on the round itself and what made it click from the first tee to the last green.

What made Saturday’s 63 click for Shane Lowry at PGA National?

Shane Lowry was quick to point out that the conditions on Saturday helped set up a low score. Holes 15, 16, and 17 were playing downwind, turning three of the toughest holes on the course into far more manageable ones. That wind direction alone can swing a scorecard by two or three shots.

But Lowry was clear that favorable conditions only take you so far at PGA National. The greens were firm, the margin for error was small, and the course can turn on you quickly if your ball-striking is even slightly off. He still had to go out and execute.

Early in the round, his putter bailed him out when his driving was not at its sharpest. He missed a few fairways, but he made some important putts to maintain his rhythm. Once he found his swing, he kept giving himself birdie chances and made enough of them to build momentum.

He finished with two birdies in a row on the final two holes, which was the best part of his day. Shane Lowry took full advantage of everything that went right during the round: the weather, the short game, and the iron play. That is the kind of complete performance you need to have a chance at winning on Sunday.