AUGUSTA, Ga. — Former Zurich Classic champion Shane Lowry made history on Saturday at the Masters.
The Irishman became the first player to record a second career hole-in-one in the tournament with an ace on the par-3 sixth hole.
“That’s wild, isn’t it?” Lowry said. “Made one a couple of weeks ago in Houston. You don’t ever expect to make a hole-in-one. I just couldn’t believe it. Obviously, you know, you’re out there, and you’re in the hunt at the Masters and you’re making hole-in-one, it’s pretty cool.”
Lowry also made a hole-in-one in 2016 on No. 16.
The ace helped Lowry to a round of 4-under par 68, vaulting him into contention at 9 under 207, good for solo fourth place. Lowry is two strokes back of his good friend Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young and one behind former LSU All-American Sam Burns.
“It’s getting real now,” Lowry said.
Lowry and McIlroy won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans together in 2024.
It’s the seventh hole-in-one all-time at No. 6 and first since Corey Conners made one there in 2021. It’s also the first ace in the Masters on any hole since Stewart Cink made one in 2022 at No. 16.
Lowry and Burns will tee off at 1:39 p.m. in the second-to-last paring, just ahead of McIlroy and Young (1:50 p.m.).
Lowry is going for his second major title after winning the 2019 British Open.
“It’s all about (Sunday),” he said. “We’ll see what everyone is made of.”
Green jacket protocol
If McIlroy wins, he will become just the fourth back-to-back Masters champion. He would join Jack Nicklaus (1965-66), Nick Faldo (1989-90) and Tiger Woods (2001-02).
Traditionally, the previous champion puts the green jacket on the winner. However, if McIlroy repeats, the most recent custom is for the Masters chairman, in this case Fred Ridley, to put the jacket on him. That’s what happened with Faldo and Woods, while Nicklaus slipped into the green jacket by himself.
Going low
Saturday’s scoring average of 70.630 was the lowest for a third round in Masters history, besting the 70.769 from 2019. It’s just the third time the third-round average has been below 71.0.
Going lower
Young started the tournament 4-over par on his first 11 holes. After Saturday’s 65, tying for the best round of this year’s Masters, Young is 15 under in his last 43 holes.
Prize money increases
Prize money for the Masters has increased for the fifth straight year, tournament officials announced Saturday.
This year’s total purse is $22.5 million, with $4.5 million going to the winner. In 2025, it was $21 million in prize money with McIlroy getting $4.2 million for first place.
The last word
“I don’t get the sense I’ll be the fan favorite. Some fans that cheer for me have gotten louder over the last year. It will still be lopsided, I think. Rory’s kind of a world favorite in the golf world.”
— Young
