10 months agoAfter missing out on last season's playoffs for the first time in five seasons, Shane Lowry has made a concerted effort to begin his PGA Tour campaign a few months early. Although we typically aren't used to seeing Shane until the Tour moves to his adopted state of Florida, Lowry has already made two starts in California through the first month of the season. After missing the cut at 12-under at the American Express (tough game), Lowry was able to rebound with a 25th-place finish around the vaunted Torrey Pines. It was an all-around solid performance from the Irishman, as Shane gained strokes on approach, on the greens, and around the greens whilst rating out 10th in the field in driving accuracy. That patented ball-striking prowess will once again be put on full display around TPC Scottsdale's unforgiving layout, as precision off-the-tee, and into the greens has been paramount to success in the desert. Lowry showcased that optimal skillset in 6th and 16th place finishes in 2016 and 2017 but has weirdly floundered in his last two trips to the desert. At his best, Shane would seem to present one of the clearest values in this field at 70-1 ($7700 on DraftKings), but with no top-ten finish in any PGA start since the end of last February, it is fair to ask the question of just how high the Irishman's ceiling remains.--Ian McNeill - RotoBaller
Source: PGA Tour