McIlroy left feeling cold as Lowry wins in Arizona

Shane Lowry caused an upset in the early hours this morning by beating his good friend Rory McIlroy at the Accenture World Match Play at Arizona.

By Declan Whooley

A game that like the others was delayed due to heavy snowfall on the course, eventually did get underway and it was the world number 68 that upset all the odds to make McIlroy the third number one in the last four years to lose their opening World Match Play tie.

The former amateur team-mates could not be separated until the final hole, but it was the Offaly man’s chip-ins at 11 and 12 that were the stand out shots in the encounter.

Lowry even managed to find two bunkers on the 18th, but McIlroy was wayward himself and Lowry completed a famous win on his debut at the tournament.

McIlroy is in good company as Tiger Woods lost out to Charles Howell meaning that for the first time since 2002 the top two seeds are out after the opening round.