WGC-Bridgestone Invitational Recap: Lowry is Not Like the Others

One of these things -- Jim Furyk, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose, Bubba Watson -- is not like the others.

As the final round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational heated up on Sunday, those four golfers separated themselves from the rest of the elite 77-man field. And then Lowry -- the one of those things who is not like the others -- separated himself from three major champions all ranked among the 10 best golfers in the world.

The burley Irishman recorded two incredible recovery shots on the back nine, completing a bogey-free 4-under 66 to defeat Watson by two strokes for the biggest win of his career. Fifty-four-hole co-leaders Furyk and Rose finished two more back.

Lowry, 28, surely is an accomplished golfer -- he couldn't have been at the famed Firestone Country Club otherwise -- but is not in the same league as Watson, Furyk and Rose. He entered No. 48 in the world with two previous wins worldwide, both on the European Tour, in 2009 and '12. But he's shown flashes lately, tying for ninth at the U.S. Open in June (and also at last year's Open Championship).

With the win, Lowry jumps from special temporary membership on the PGA Tour to a three-year exemption through the 2018 season -- though he does not qualify for the upcoming FedEx Cup playoffs. And he'll also vault into the top-20 in the OWGR for the first time, at No. 19. He said he'll try to play both the American and European tours next year.

Lowry began the day two strokes behind Furyk and Rose, both of whom shot 72, and two ahead of Watson, who also shot 66. He tied Furyk for the lead with a birdie at the eighth to get to 9-under, then stood alone at the top after Furyk bogeyed the hole. He was never headed, but not without a couple of anxious moments.

After a wildly wayward hook off the tee on No. 10, he was staring at a crooked number. Instead, he lashed a mighty wedge over a tree, nestling to tap-in birdie range. He again went wild left off the tee on 18, this time with a one-stroke lead over Watson, who had completed his round. Once more, he powered a wedge over a tree, but this time the ball clipped a branch and rolled to 11 feet. Needing two putts for the win, Lowry sank a final birdie.

Until Sunday, Lowry may have been best known to American golf fans for his first-round knockout of world No. 1 Rory McIlroy at the 2013 WGC-Match Play. Of course, what took place in Akron, Ohio, over the weekend is so much more.

"It's fairly special to do that against such a good field, to shoot bogey-free 66 on a golf course like that," Lowry told reporters. "I know it will stay with me now for the rest of my career."

MONDAY TAKEAWAY

Bubba Watson

So which Bubba will show up at Whistling Straits? The one who has finished second in his last two starts and lost in a playoff to Martin Kaymer there at the 2010 PGA Championship? Or the one who has missed the cut in the past two majors? The prevailing theory on Watson is, if he likes a course, he plays well there. Five years ago, he liked Whistling Straits.

Jim Furyk

If Furyk hadn't won the RBC Heritage back in April, Sunday's post-tournament chatter might have centered around his inability to hold a 54-hole lead. Even though Furyk played the final eight holes in 2-over, he continued an incredible season. It was his third top-5 in his past five starts, and at 17th in the point standings, he'll likely be in the Tour Championship. Whistling Straits doesn't look to be the right course for Furyk to contend; he tied for 24th there five years ago.

Justin Rose

Rose entered the Bridgestone with three top-6s in his past four starts, plus four top-5s at Firestone. So tying for third was zero surprise. But shooting a 2-over-72 on Sunday for his worst round of the week certainly was. And he missed three very short putts. Rose missed the cut at Whistling Straits five years ago, but he's a more accomplished golfer now.

David Lingmerth/Danny Lee

Both of these golfers broke through with their maiden wins this season -- Lingmerth at the Memorial and Lee more recently at the Greenbriar. But they have not taken their pedal off the gas, emerging as two of the bigger surprises of the season. The duo tied for sixth at Firestone. Since the Greenbriar, Lee has four top-6s and Lingmerth has three. They have no history at Whistling Straits, but then again, they didn't have much history anywhere two months ago.

Graeme McDowell

Tiger Woods aside, there may not be a golfer who has had such a precipitous fall this year as McDowell. After beginning 2015 at No. 15 in the world, he stumbled to 60th entering the Bridgestone. So if you saw that McDowell tied for 17th at Firestone, you'd consider that progress. And it is. But after an opening-round 66, the Northern Irishman slowly dripped down the leaderboard. He's 150th in the point standings and appears likely to miss the playoffs. McDowell also missed the cut at 2010 PGA, just two months after capturing the U.S. Open.

Dustin Johnson

Johnson is sixth in the FedEx and entered the week seventh in the world, but those lofty positions arrived from strong play in the spring, shortly after his hiatus ended. Johnson's best tournament since April has been the U.S. Open. And while he tied for second at Chambers Bay, the rear-view mirror will not be kind to him there. In two starts since then, Johnson's scorecards read like this: 65-69-75-75 at the Open Championship and 69-67-75-76 at Firestone. (Clearly, someone does not like working on the weekends.) And while Johnson played so well at Whistling Straits five years ago before his unfortunate penalty killed his chances, nothing in his recent play suggests a repeat this time around.

Phil Mickelson

Mickelson tripled the third hole on Thursday and that was that. He ended up tied for 63rd, extending his slump deep into a second straight season. It's past the time of predicting "this will be the week for Mickelson," even though there could be one or two more of them in his career. Mickelson tied for 12th at Whistling Straits in 2010, but that's so long ago for him you'd have to measure it in dog years.

Troy Merritt

Merritt shocked the golf world by winning the Quicken last week for his first career title, not to mention his first made cut in two months. Good thing there was no cut at the Bridgestone because Merritt looked like a racehorse that stumbles out of the gate and never recovers. He opened with an 82 and finished 22-over, last among the 77 entrants. He'll play in his first major this week, and 77th at the PGA would not be so bad.

J.J. Henry

The longtime Tour player defeated Kyle Reifers in a playoff to win the opposite-field Barracuda Championship for his third PGA title, and perhaps it was a career saver. The 40-year-old Henry began the week at 151st in the point standings and was looking at a return to the Web.com Tour playoffs to try to keep his card. Instead, he's exempt through 2017, and he'll also be in the PGA Championship next week, his first major since tying for 40th in the PGA in 2013. Is Henry now a good fantasy option? Alas, no.

Rory McIlroy

Somewhat surprisingly, the world No. 1 is returning to defend his title in the PGA Championship, less than two months after rupturing ligaments in his left ankle playing soccer. McIlroy is listed as the No. 2 favorite behind Jordan Spieth, but that's the way oddsmakers operate -- just anticipating the public, not the actual golf. It would be a mini-miracle if McIlroy performed well, if for no other reason than he's rusty. But there is another reason: his injury. This summer, McIlroy has seen Spieth threaten his perch atop the rankings, and he'll likely be fired up, especially being grouped with Spieth for the first two rounds. Don't bet against McIlroy playing well, but it's also asking a bit much betting on him to win.