2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational: final round, as it happened

Shane Lowry was the deserved victor over Bubba Watson after a swashbuckling round of 66 at Firestone South

6.09pm ET

So it’s been Shane’s show. But poor old Jim Furyk, though. Huh? That’s ten top-ten finishes here now, without a single win. Bogeys at the last for both Gentleman Jim and Justin Rose, the overnight leaders. They both shot miserable 72s, and have to do with a share of third. So this is how things finished, the story of Shane Lowry’s ascension in bald facts and figures.

-11: Lowry
-9: Watson
-7: Rose, Furyk
-6: Streb
-5: Lingmerth, Lee, Koepka, Stenson
-4: Spieth, Fowler

6.04pm ET

The champion speaks! “It’s hard to believe. I played good today. I was nervous there towards the end, but I made a couple of good decisions and got a bit of luck too. I’ve doubted myself this year when things haven’t gone my way, but to come out the other end, it’s nice. The putt at 14 was massive. That was key to me winning. I was just trying to lag that last putt down there, but it dropped in. It’s exciting. There’s a party on at home this evening, my brother, my fiancee, my parents and my granny. It’s great for me, my family, and everyone who’s supported me over the years.” That was all said not so much in an Irish accent, but in the accent of smile. Audible glee in every word. Could there be a more likeable champion?

5.59pm ET

Lowry wheeled around in glee as his putt dropped, as well he might! He becomes the third Irish player to win this event, after Darren Clarke in 2003 and Rory McIlroy last year. That’s a sensational victory. The two escapes from the trees, at 10 and 18, will be the signature shots of Lowry’s breakthrough win. But perhaps his putting under pressure sealed the deal: that huge par saver across 14 was as good a putt as any all week. All year, perhaps. And that up and down at 17! This was a swashbuckling win - but it required some steady control too. All hail the all-round brilliance of Shane Lowry - who has now surely stepped up into the elite ranks.

5.53pm ET

SHANE LOWRY IS THE WGC-BRIDGESTONE CHAMPION! Lowry curls his putt, right to left, into the cup. After a recovery shot for the ages - his second such shot of the day, in fact - he birdies the last, and secures a richly deserved victory! That’s a bogey-free 66, and he ends the day at -11. That’s his first PGA Tour win, and at at WGC event too! What a performance. Shane Lowry has come of age this weekend!

5.50pm ET

... this is a STUNNER! Lowry whips his ball up and over the tree. It brushes a few leaves as it comes back down, then drops into the heart of the green, pin high, 12 feet from the flag! What a brilliant escape! Tiger, Mickelson, Seve, Lowry. That’s how he’s been rolling today. Back on 17, Furyk and Rose both take two putts for par. This is nearly over. Two putts for Lowry, and this is over!

-10: Lowry (17)
-9: Watson (F)
-8: Furyk (17), Rose (17)

5.46pm ET

It’s all relative, of course, but Lowry has enjoyed a massive slice of luck here. His ball is in a small clearing within the trees, and he’s got enough space to get over the branches in front of him. Just. Can he manufacture something as good as the ludicrous feat of escapology on 10? Hell, half as good would do. He opens the face of his wedge, and ...

5.43pm ET

... he’s pulled his drive at 18 into the trees down the left. Aw Shane! Goodness knows if he’ll have a shot out of that. Dear me. Meanwhile back on 17, Furyk and Rose both find the green in regulation. They’re faced with long birdie putts - Rose lets his frustration get the better of him with a highly English “Gosh!” - but they’re both still in this tournament. As things stand. A lot depends on where Lowry’s ball has ended up, naturally.

5.40pm ET

Lowry bumps a pretty fine chip across 17. He’s done well to get within five feet. But that’s going to look like 25 feet to Lowry right now. The pressure’s really on here. This man is made of the real stuff, though! He rolls the par saver straight into the cup! That’s 17 holes played without a single blemish on his card. One more hole, one more par, one more bogey avoided - and chances are he’ll be winning his first PGA Tour championship. A WGC event, nonetheless. One more good drive, Shane. Just one more good drive. But ...

5.35pm ET

This isn’t brilliant play by Shane Lowry. From the centre of 17, he pulls his approach, his ball nestling against the thick rough skirting the edge of the green on the left. He’s got a long up and down from there. Back on 16, Furyk nearly lobs in from the rough at the back. He saves his par, and he’s not out of this tournament yet. And neither is Rose, who bumps his third into the green to eight feet, and finally makes a putt! His birdie takes him to -8, alongside Furyk. One behind Bubba, and two behind the leader. In fact, if Lowry can’t scramble another par at 17, a four-way play-off isn’t beyond the realms here!

-10: Lowry (16)
-9: Watson (F)
-8: Rose (16), Furyk (16)

5.31pm ET

An iron off the 17th tee for Shane Lowry. It’s in the fairway, as you’d expect from a professional playing the percentages. Furyk can’t afford to take a safety-first approach, though, and toys with the water at the front of 16. He fizzes a low scuttler into the green, his ball nestling in the rough at the back. Probably the best he could do from the thick stuff down the side of the fairway; he wasn’t going to hold the green coming in high.

5.28pm ET

Lowry gets up and down, and that’s his par on 16. He’s leading by one stroke. Back down the hole, Furyk had in fact found a bunker with a steep face, and he can only lash out into the rough further down the right. This could be the end of his challenge if he’s not very careful. Rose has got no option but to roll the dice, and lashes a fairway wood down the track. He clips the trees down the left, and gets a lucky bounce back onto the fairway. And up on 18, Bubba’s long birdie putt stays up on the right, and he taps in for par. That’s a wondrous round of 66, and he’s set a clubhouse target of -9. Shane Lowry, still out on the course with two to play, has it all in his own hands.

-10: Lowry (16)
-9: Watson (F)
-8: Furyk (15)
-7: Rose (15)

5.22pm ET

Lowry’s third into 16 is right on line, but short of distance. His ball lands just over the water in front of the green, and rather kindly opts not to spin back. He should be able to get up and down from there, with not too much green between ball and hole. But that was a nervous moment. Back on the tee, Rose powers a drive down the fairway, though it takes the camber to the left and topples into the rough. Furyk lashes his into deep bother down the other side. And up on 18, Bubba sends his second over the flag, but it’s a good 25 feet behind the hole, and doesn’t spin back. Not particularly good from where he was. There’ll be some noise if he rolls that one in for birdie, mind.

5.18pm ET

Bubba’s eight-foot putt goes straight into the cup! What a ludicrous birdie! That was one of the stupidest drives in the history of All Golf - but what a wedge over the trees! He’s just a shot behind the leader Lowry - who powers out of the rough on 16, laying up in the middle of the fairway down the behemoth par-five. Furyk can’t convert his birdie chance on 15; it’s par for both him and Rose. And back to Bubba, who blasts a ludicrously long drive down the final hole. It flirted with the branches down the left, but drifted back inside, and he’s left with a dainty chip into the green. It’s a 460-plus-yard hole.

-10: Lowry (15)
-9: Watson (17)
-8: Furyk (15)
-7: Rose (15)

5.13pm ET

Bubba’s not giving this up quickly! He’s right behind a small tree, miles to the right of 17. No bother! He opens the face of his club, and thrash-Mickelsons a high lob over the branches and down to within eight feet of the flag! That’s astonishingly good. Bubbaesque. He does this sort of thing. Furyk isn’t laying down either: he’s nearly holed in one at the par-three 15th. The ball rolls six feet past, so that’s not dead for birdie. And on 16, Lowry’s drive finds the thick stuff down the left. So this isn’t over. What a marvellous final round this has been!

5.09pm ET

Bubba can’t rake in his 25-footer for birdie on 16. He smiles and shakes his head as he taps in for par, the look of a man who knows he needed something there, and is now relying on Lowry to throw it away. Doubly so after hoicking his drive at 17 miles right and into the trees. Danger there, Bubba! Meanwhile the leader whip-cracks his tee shot into the heart of 15. He looks in total control today. And on the couple of occasions where he’s momentarily lost control... well, he’s quickly, er, regained control. It’s been a display of poise and class. And control! He’s so close. So close for this to have become very tense viewing. But at least one person is relaxed, and thankfully that’s our leader. Two putts later - a 30-foot birdie effort stopping just short - and that’s another par. He’s three from home. Rose and Furyk meanwhile grind out pars on 14, to stay in touch.

-10: Lowry (15)
-8: Watson (16), Furyk (14)
-7: Rose (14)

4.59pm ET

What a putt from Shane Lowry! He rolls a right-to-left drifter into the cup from 25 feet, a stunning par save! That looked like a certain bogey, but he’d kept one off his card up until this point, and clearly had no intention of bringing that proud run to an end. That’s just brilliant, tenacious golf. If he doesn’t win this tournament, let nobody say he gave up without a fight, or left stupid shots out on the course. And if he does... well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, a long way to go. But an already fantastic player could be about to take the next step up.

4.56pm ET

Rose does get up and down! He’s still in with a shout here, despite it all. Furyk pars 13 too. Up on 14, the lip’s too high for Lowry to consider going for the green. He takes his medicine and chips out. He bumps his wedge into the heart of the green, the pin tucked away on the left. He’ll have work to do to save his par. And on 16, Bubba lashes an iron from the rough down the fairway, then sends his approach over the flag. It lands 25 feet behind the flag, but doesn’t spin back. You sense Bubba was expecting some spin, because he briefly considers snapping his iron over his knee. He shapes to do exactly that, then simmers down in double-quick time.

4.51pm ET

Driving mishaps ahoy! The biggest hour of Lowry’s career doesn’t start particularly well. Minute one: he pulls his drive into a bunker down the left of 14. “Aw no, Shane, no!” he cries as his ball nestles up against the lip of the trap. Maybe he’ll have just enough space to go for the green. Time will tell. Down 16, Bubba wangs an awful tee shot miles right, but gets a lucky bounce back towards the fairway. He’s still in the rough, but not bothered by trees. And to complete the triptych of tee tat: Rose whistles his drive into the woods down the right of 13, and though he gets a favourable bounce off a branch back onto the fairway, he’s miles back, and fails to reach the green with his second. He’ll have an up and down you feel he really needs to make ... though just about everybody’s in danger of dropping shots here. Firestone South is a Monster all right.

4.44pm ET

No birdie for Rose at 12: he stays at -7. It’s just not happening for him. And contrasting fortunes for Bubba and Lowry with their chips on 15 and 13 respectively. Bubba fluffs his, then lets an impatient prod of a putt slip left of the cup. Bogey, and he’s back to -8. Lowry meanwhile caresses a gorgeous bump and run out of the thick stuff, to within a couple of feet of the hole. That’s another hard-as-nails up and down, and Lowry is two clear as we enter the business end of this WGC event. The biggest hour of his career so far is about to unfold!

-10: Lowry (13)
-8: Watson (15), Furyk (12)
-7: Rose (12)

4.40pm ET

Furyk can only wedge up the bank at 12 and straight through the green. He’s in the apron on the other side. He jabs a chip to a couple of feet, but that’ll be a bogey, and he’s back to -8. But that might not be as disastrous as it sounds, for Lowry’s in a little trouble at 13: having boomed a huge drive down the track, he’s overhit his second, and into the thick rough behind the green. While on the par-three 15th, Bubba has seen his ball disappear into tangled rough just to the right of the green, and he’s shortsided.

4.37pm ET

Rose sends a seemingly effortless iron into the heart of 12. So smooth. Pin high, and a chance for a birdie. He really needs to roll this one in, from 18 feet, because time’s running out. Here’s how the leaders stand right now:

-10: Lowry (12)
-9: Watson (14), Furyk (11)
-7: Rose (11)
-6: Stenson (13)
-5: Bowditch (12)

4.34pm ET

A superb tee shot from Lowry at 12, ten feet straight over the flag. He smoothly sends a gentle left-to-right curler along the green, but it stays high on the left, and he’s staying at -10. But he’s got through a difficult hole without dropping a shot, and that’s something Jim Furyk might not be able to say any time soon; he’s sliced his tee shot miles right and down a very troublesome bank. A chance for another birdie for Bubba, this time at 14, but his 20-foot ticker from the back of the green stays up on the left side. He stays at -9, alongside Furyk (f0r now).

4.29pm ET

Furyk has been plodding around today, but he steps up the quality now, wedging into 11 to six feet. One of the approaches of the day, and a superb chance for birdie. Rose really needs to respond, and he does so, sticking his second over the flag to ten feet. But he can’t put the birdie putt away. He remains at -7. The putter’s not working. Unless there’s a dramatic change, this isn’t going to be Justin Rose’s tournament. But Furyk isn’t giving this up, and he pops his birdie putt in. He’s back to -9, a shot off the lead.

4.24pm ET

The first sign that the pressure of leading such a big tournament may tell on Shane Lowry? From the centre of 11, he pushes a simple wedge into the bunker to the right of the green. That’s an appalling shot. But what a recovery, splashing out to three feet, then tapping home for his par. Pressure? What pressure?! He looked shaky there for a minute, but what a strong response. Magnificent. But outside forces are certain to continue bearing down, because there’s a huge cheer, as Bubba rolls a 35-foot birdie putt straight across 13 and into the cup! That’s his fourth birdie in six holes! And he’s one off the lead!

-10: Lowry (11)
-9: Watson (13)
-8: Furyk (10)
-7: Rose (10)

4.18pm ET

Rose drives into sand down the right of 10, but isn’t bothered by the lip of the bunker and lifts a glorious second to 10 feet. He’ll have a look at another birdie. Furyk finds the green in regulation, albeit in a less swashbuckling manner. He’ll have a long two putts for par. Or will he rake in a 40-footer for birdie? Dearie me, he very nearly does. So unlucky for that not to drop. He stays at -8. Rose then three putts dismally. He’s back to -7. His putter has gone stone cold today. Maybe he should try chipping everything in.

4.13pm ET

Some very necessary admin, then, in the wake of that glorious nonsense! Furyk trundled in a 15-footer to scramble his par on 9, while Bubba did well to get up and down from the side of 12 to avoid dropping a shot. This is a brilliant tournament, a highly entertaining final round, and it’s surely only going to get better and better!

-10: Lowry (10)
-8: Watson (12), Rose (9), Furyk (9)

4.11pm ET

Two sensational shots, and the European charge is on!!! First, finally, something happens for Justin Rose! Having found the rough down the right of 9, he sends his second through the back. But he bumps a delightful chip onto the green, sending it curling right to left, a delicate 25-foot trundle that disappears into the cup for birdie! He’s back to -8! Meanwhile Lowry, amid thick nonsense down the left of 10, hoicks a high open-faced wedge over a tree and onto a bank to the left of the green, the ball bouncing to the right, resting a couple of feet from the pin! That’s Tiger, mixed with Lefty, sprinkled with a soupcon of Seve!!! He makes his birdie, and Lowry’s lead is two!

4.03pm ET

Jordan Spieth won’t be winning this tournament, but he’s the current clubhouse leader. He’s just sent a crisp approach at 18 to three feet, then tapped in for his birdie. Out in 32, he’s back in 34, and that’s a 66. He’s -4, and in superlative form ahead of the PGA Championship next week. A third major of the year for the brilliant young Texan? You wouldn’t back too aggressively against it, would you.

4.00pm ET

Bubba, wedging into 11, sees his ball bounce twice, then twang 12 feet back off the flagstick. Unfortunate: had that landed on the putting surface one more time, it’d surely have bitten close to the hole. As it is, he’s still got a look at yet another birdie. But he pulls it right and that’s just a par. His face suggests a high miff. He remains at -8. Elsewhere, some wild drives, Furyk flaying one miles left down 9, Lowry forced to scream FORE! as he skelps one in a similar direction on 10. Meanwhile we have a new clubhouse leader: Soren Kjeldsen of Denmark, who shot 66 today and ends his tournament at -3.

3.56pm ET

Furyk can only find the thick stuff at the front left of 8, and doesn’t chip particularly close from there. A bogey, and suddenly Rose’s rather boring par at the same hole suddenly looks more interesting. He’s only a shot behind his playing partner, and two off the lead. Speaking of which: Lowry, having driven into the trees down the left of 9, bumps a wedge to the rough at front of the green, then chips adroitly to four feet. A stunning par scramble, and he’s out in 33, the sole leader of this tournament. Meanwhile bogey for Day at 13, and he drops back to -5. He walks off with the look of a man who knows it’s over. It is over.

-9: Lowry (9)
-8: Watson (10), Furyk (8)
-7: Rose (8)
-6: Stenson (9), Bowditch (9)

3.51pm ET

Shane Lowry is the joint leader of the tournament! He wedges to six feet at 8, and rolls in the putt. This round is a slow burner, but that’s his second birdie of the day, and he’s now -9 alongside Furyk - who, behind the Irish star, drives into filth down the right of the same hole. It could be All Change at the top soon, because up on 10, Bubba is in trouble in the trees down the left of 10. But he bumps a Scottish style wedge over a couple of banks, avoiding some tufts, and onto the green to ten feet! That’s an absurd, snaky route, and such a delightful shot. He rolls in the birdie effort, and is a shot off the lead at -8! This round is really coming to the boil!

-9: Lowry (8), Furyk (7)
-8: Watson (10)
-7: Rose (7)

3.44pm ET

By the way, the new Open champion Zach Johnson has finished the week at +2. He’s historically found it difficult to get people to warm to him, has poor Zach. But his performance after winning at St Andrews must have won a few hearts and minds. Not only was his acceptance speech extremely gracious and humble, he also made sure to exchange high fives with as many of the punters lining the 18th hole as possible. It took him bloody ages. He’ll have made a lot of people’s days doing that. The little gestures. And it made for strangely therapeutic viewing. But I digress.

3.40pm ET

A fuss-free par for Furyk at 7, and he remains at -9. Rose can’t get up and down from the bunker, though. His splash out is cute enough, four feet past the hole, but he lets the par putt dribble past the left of the cup, and he’s back to -7. Rose is the only player towards the top of the leaderboard - the only one in the top 11, to be precise - to be over par today. Furyk (-9) and Brooks Koepka (-4) are the only others from that bunch not to be under par. It’s going to get very interesting, you sense.

3.36pm ET

Bubba booms one down the 9th, and wedges his second pin high. It screws towards the hole, leaving a three footer for his birdie. And in it pops. He’s suddenly in fourth spot, just two off Furyk’s lead. Meanwhile Stenson is close to rolling in a 15-footer across 8 for birdie, but remains at -6.

3.32pm ET

Rose slam-dunks his tee shot at 7 into the bunker, front right of the green. There’s not much putting surface to work with from there. Furyk, following, plays safely into the heart of the green. News of Rickie Fowler, meanwhile: he quietly went out in 33 strokes, with birdies at 2 and 9, and has just birdied 12. He’s three under for his round, and -4 for the tournament. And we’ve got new clubhouse leaders: Paul Casey and Lee Westwood have ended their weeks at -1, having shot 67 and 68 today respectively.

3.28pm ET

Furyk sends a 9-iron into the 6th, leaving a 15-foot uphill putt for birdie. The effort shaves the hole. He remains at -9. Rose left himself a long two putts for par, but makes it to hang on in there at -8. As does Lowry up on 7, despite leaving his first 60-footer a good ten feet short.

-9: Furyk (6)
-8: Lowry (7), Rose (6)
-6: Day (10), Watson (8), Stenson (7), Bowditch (7)

3.23pm ET

Poulter’s day goes from bad to worse. He’s put his tee shot at the par-three 7th into a bunker. And shanks his escape into another trap! He splashes out to three feet, a shot of delicate precision. From rank amateur to professional genius in 60 seconds. But that’s another bogey, and he’s back to -3. After that eagle at 2, and a sniff of the top of the leaderboard, this has been a dismal collapse. A two-putt par for Stenson, who remains at -6. Meanwhile birdie for Bubba at 8, and he’s -6. He’s been quiet, but not out of this yet.

3.17pm ET

A huge break for Rose at 5. His tee shot is pushed well right, but clips a branch and rebounds back into the green, allowing him to escape with a two-putt par. He’s not playing with much confidence right now. And this 24 hours after shooting 63! This, ladies and gentlemen, is why we love and hate golf so much, in equal measure. Furyk meanwhile fails to get up and down from the fringe, missing a short par putt, and his lead now is just the one. Meanwhile Stenson and Poulter both drop shots at 6. They’re back to -6 and -4 respectively. And Day pars 10, having nearly holed out from a greenside bunker. Nobody ahead of him is exactly ripping it up. Another couple of birdies, and you never know.

3.10pm ET

Day gets up and down from a tight spot at the front of 9. Having saved his par, he’s out in 31 strokes, and looks very content with life. He’s -6, and has to be fancied for next week’s jamboree at Whistling Straits. Meanwhile an easy par for Furyk at 4, but Rose hits a weak chip from the rough at the back. He can’t knock in the ten-footer he leaves himself. One bogey in the last 49 holes becomes two in 50. All of a sudden it’s falling apart for the 2013 US Open winner. And falling into place for the man who won it ten years earlier.

-10: Furyk (4)
-8: Lowry (5), Rose (4)
-7: Stenson (5)
-6: Day (9), Bowditch (5)

3.05pm ET

Rose has a route into the green at 4, but gets a flyer out of the rough and it zips into the long stuff behind the green. Furyk, perhaps sensing his time is now, providing he plays it safe and steady, guides his second into the heart of the green. The gap at the top of the leaderboard could be growing soon. Meanwhile Lowry’s tee shot into 5 is miles to the left of the flag, albeit on the green. A 60-footer is left a good 15 feet short, but he rattles in a staunch saver, and remains at -8. He’s not quite been firing on all cylinders, but he’s yet to make any errors, and remains one under for his round thanks to that birdie at 2. He’s -8.

3.00pm ET

Workaday pars for Furyk and Rose at 3, and for Lowry and Bowditch at 4. Furyk finds the fairway from the tee at 4, but Rose wings his drive into the trees down the right. More trouble for the 54-hole joint leader. Stenson can’t make his birdie at 5. Poulter scrambles his par after bumping up to four feet, a fine recovery. But he’s clinging on, rather than making the necessary charge. As for McDowell? He fails to get up and down from a bunker at 7, and he’s back to -3. Any outside chance of victory for the 2010 US Open champ has long gone.

2.54pm ET

Poulter’s race certainly looks run. Frustrated in the wake of the double that dropped him back to -5, he chunks his tee shot at the par-three 5th. He’ll have a testing up and down from the front of the green. His partner Stenson is still in the hunt at -7, though, and finds the heart of the green; he’ll have a look at birdie. Menawhile another birdie for Jason Day, this time at 8! He’s the hottest property on the course right now. He’s four under for his round, -6 overall, and just four off the lead. Does another Tour win loom, a mere fortnight after his superb success at the Canadian Open? Suddenly, while still a long shot, it’s not totally out of the question.

2.49pm ET

Perhaps not. He’s just hooked his drive into trees down the left of 3. Bubba had to chip out from there. But he punches one onto the green. The ball leaks off the back, but that’s not the worst result from there. Meanwhile on 4, Poulter finds the second cut with his tee shot, fizzes a no-spin hottie through the green, clumps a heavy handed chip miles back past the hole, and can’t make the long par putt. Or the two-foot tiddler he leaves himself for bogey, pushed way to the right. A dreadful double, and he’s back to -5. That was a tatty nonsense from start to finish. What with the Arsenal-West Ham result earlier, it’s not looking like Poulter’s day.

2.42pm ET

Lowry gets up and down from the fringe at the back of 3 to remain in third spot at -8. Bowditch is an inch away from a successful 20-foot birdie effort, but he stays at -6. Meanwhile Furyk fizzes a hybrid straight through the green at 2. A little bump out of the rough at the back sends his ball to four feet, and he rolls in the putt for his first birdie of the day. His partner Rose finds the front of the putting surface, and he’ll have a long one up the green for eagle. A 35-foot effort travels 40 feet. And he doesn’t get the one coming back. It horseshoes out. That’s his first three-putt of the week, 56 holes into the event. And what a time to do it. We have a new sole leader, and it’s Jim Furyk - who, er, doesn’t much like setting the pace. He’s failed to convert any of his last nine 54-hole leads into a win. Can he make it tenth time lucky?

-10: Furyk (2)
-9: Rose (2)
-8: Lowry (3)
-7: Poulter (3), Stenson (3)

2.35pm ET

McDowell’s early momentum is lost, with a dropped shot at 4. He’s back to -4, and out of this now. The margin for error is that slim. Perhaps to the point where early missed birdie chances could sting more than usual: there’s agony for Poulter at 3, as a 25-foot birdie effort across the green lips out. So close. As is Bubba at 4, but his 30-footer for bird stays on the high side. He’s still -5.

2.30pm ET

Lowry and Bowditch chipping greenside at the par-five 2nd. Lowry’s effort is hot, 20 feet past the hole. Bowditch bumps his up to three feet. Two birdie putts, then, of varying likelihood. But Lowry rattles his in at high speed! What a putt! That could have been disastrous had the hole not got in the way. But the ball drops, and he moves to within a shot of the lead. His partner pops his less dramatic effort into the cup, and the leaderboard now looks a little more compact than it did at the start of the day ...

-9: Rose (1), Furyk (1)
-8: Lowry (2)
-7: Poulter (2), Stenson (2)
-6: Bowditch (2)

2.25pm ET

Shades of the Ryder Cup at Medinah here, Furyk versus Garcia. Big Jim hits a putt. He’s sure it’s going to drop. He walks after it in celebration - only to see it hook round the back of the cup and stay out. How did that not drop? Par. Rose matches his score in a fairly nondescript fashion. No fuss, no drama. Meanwhile Bubba is all over the shop on the par-four 3rd. Out of position from the tee, he’s wedging his third into the green, and pulls it miles right. It’s on the green, but he’s left with a long putt to save his par. He can’t make it. He’s back to -5. As is his partner Streb, only he’s been going in a different direction. Having dropped that shot at 1, he’s birdied 2 and now raked a long one in at 3 for another birdie. A fine response.

2.19pm ET

Stenson rips his second into the par-five 2nd pin high. He’s got a fairly straight 30-footer across the green for his eagle, and he so nearly drains it. But that’s back-to-back birdies, and he joins Lowry in second place at -7. As does his partner Poulter, whose second whistled 20 feet past the flag. He teases in the snaky eagle putt, and walks off the green with a very businesslike look on his face. Meanwhile Spieth has grabbed back the shot he dropped at 7, with a birdie at 9. He went out in 32, and is now -4 overall.

2.15pm ET

Camilo Villegas did indeed finish his round with a pair of pars. He signs for a 65, the best round of the day so far, and ends the tournament at level par. He’s the joint clubhouse leader alongside Matt Kuchar, who shot a 68 today. What the final pair would give for Villegas’s card. Rose and Furyk are out and about, and they’ve found the fairway with their opening tee shots. Everyone who is anyone is on the course now. This, ladies and gentlemen, is on. Surf’s up!

2.12pm ET

Bubba has a 15-footer for eagle at 2, but never looks like sinking the putt. A birdie will suffice, and he moves to -6. G-Mac clips his second at 3 to ten feet. But he can’t guide the birdie putt into the cup. He stays at -5. On 1, Lowry whistles his wedge straight at the flag, the ball stopping six feet shy. An easy uphill putt from Poulter Country, but he sends it curling dismally to the right, and that’s just a par. No fast start for Lowry, then.

2.08pm ET

Henrik Stenson’s approach into 1 is right over the flag. It bites and spins back to ten feet. He tickles in the birdie putt, and he’s -6, in fourth place on his own, three off the lead. Ian Poulter, his playing partner today, finds the middle of the green in two, but seriously overhits his long birdie putt, leaving himself an eight-foot tester coming back up the green. He slots it away nicely. Like G-Mac before him, that could be a crucial momentum saver. A dropped shot at the fairly easy opening hole would have been a blow. Back on the tee, it’s the penultimate pairing. Both Steven Bowditch and Shane Lowry find the fairway, the latter hitting a monster drive, fuelled by adrenalin no doubt. Lowry is desperate to lift one of the big prizes. Being interviewed ahead of his round, he spoke of that desire. “If it doesn’t happen today, it’ll happen some other time.” Refreshingly relaxed for an elite sports star, but of course he said exactly the same thing ahead of the final round at the US Open, and never quite got going around Chambers Bay, shooting a water-treading 71. Seize the moment, Shane.

2.00pm ET

So naturally, Bubba bumps his chip up the hill to the green and very nearly into the cup. He’s saved his par rather majestically, and remains -5. Streb can’t get up and down, though, and he’s back to -3. Up ahead, Koepka bumbles his way up 2, and bogeys one of the more inviting holes on the course. He drops to -3. His partner McDowell, however, creams his second into the heart of the green, and sees his eagle putt from 25 feet stop a couple of dimples short. He birdies, a fine start for the 2010 US Open champion. He’s -5, and a feature of this early new leaderboard...

-9: Rose, Furyk
-7: Lowry
-5: Day (3), McDowell (2), Watson (1), Bowditch, Poulter, Stenson

1.54pm ET

Robert Streb pulls his opening tee shot into McDowell Country, then fails to hit his wedge into the green. He’s short of the putting surface, and faces a tricky up and down to save his par. Streb’s partner is Bubba, who also fluffs his wedge in, from the first cut. That’s abysmal. He too faces a par-saving test, right from the get-go. Meanwhile Day’s fast start continues: he splits the fairway at 3, then wedges to five feet. That’ll surely be three birdies in a row. Yep. He’s -5, just four off the lead. Much more of this, and he’ll be giving the final pairings something to think about.

1.49pm ET

G-Mac is out and about, and his opening drive is swallowed up by the rough down the left of the hole. No fairway, no spin, and his approach can’t hold the green. He severely underhits his chip from the back, leaving himself a 20-footer for par. But he slides in a gentle right-to-left putt, and punches the air in the modest manner. That was a real momentum saver, and it retains his outside chance of doing something special here; he’s still -4. As is his playing partner Brooks Koepka, who parred the hole with much less fuss and faff.

1.45pm ET

Day is this close from draining another monster, this time for eagle from the fringe at 2. He holds his head in his hands, just as he did on the 18th at St Andrews last month, but this time he’s got a broad smile on his face. That’s another birdie, and he’s -4. His playing partner, the 2011 PGA champion Keegan Bradley, fails to get up and down from the back of the par-five, dropping a shot and falling back to -1. On a hole that’s been giving up birdies, that’ll feel like a double. Meanwhile Spieth drops a shot at 7, his tee shot nestling in the long stuff surrounding the green, a chip then fluffed. He can’t roll in the 25-foot saver. He’s back to -2.

1.34pm ET

Birdie for Rickie Fowler at the par-five 2nd, a putt trundled in from 18 feet. He moves to -2. Kevin Na has added to the shot he picked up at 2 with another at 4; he’s -2 overall. There was another birdie for Camilo Villegas, at 14. Currently safely through 16, if he pars his way home he’ll be signing for a best-of-day 65. He really is one of the streakiest players on the circuit. If only he could string a few more of these Mickelsonesque birdie bursts together, he’d have a better CV in the majors than three top-ten finishes, all between 2008 and 2010. Perhaps he’ll show well in next week’s PGA, a major tournament he’s enjoyed more than most. Let’s hope so. Incidentally, he’s 33 years old already! I think I’ve had him mentally pegged at 26 for quite some time now. At least seven years. Where does it all go? As for the topic of Sergio Garcia, let’s not start pulling threads, lest we all mentally unravel.

1.25pm ET

Yes, there are shots out here. A couple of quick early birdies from Patrick Reed, at 2 and now 3, having spun his approach to a couple of feet in an extremely pleasing aesthetic style. He’s -2. The in-form Jason Day has just teased in a giant right-to-left downhill breaker on the opening hole for a birdie that takes him to -3. Spieth meanwhile should have made it three birdies in a row at 6, but his approach spun back rather unfortunately to 15 feet, having landed ten feet from the hole, and he failed to hit the putt. Par, and he remains at -3. But he looks in the mood today. Then again, when doesn’t Jordan Spieth look in the mood?

1.21pm ET

Misery has relentlessly tracked Liang Wen-Chong around Firestone South today. Out in 39 strokes was bad enough. The notorious closing stretch put the tin lid on it. Three bogeys in a row between 12 and 14 were followed by back-to-back doubles at 15 and 16. Back in 42 shots, and that’s an eleven-over 81. He ends the tournament at +21, but escapes the shame of last place thanks to Troy Merritt, whose opening-day 82 was the worst round of the week; Merritt props up the field at +22. Even Big Dustin, who has dropped another stroke, this time at 7, to fall to +6, won’t be able to save Merritt from his fate.

1.10pm ET

Another birdie for Spieth! He dumps his tee shot into a bunker to the left of 5, but splashes out, sending his ball scampering straight towards the hole and in. He’s -3. Wonderful stuff from The New Hogan Were It Not For The Eighth Green On The Old Course. Meanwhile the round of the day so far has been made by Hideki Matsuyama. The young Japanese star will surely contend next weekend at the PGA, as he’s in very good nick, having signed for a six-under 66 today. A real boost at the end of a mixed week; at +3, he’s currently the clubhouse leader, though that of course won’t be lasting for long.

1.05pm ET

A fast start for Jordan Spieth. If we’re being honest with ourselves, the brilliant Masters and US Open champion is too far behind to trouble the leaders, having started the day at level par. But he’s birdied 2, and now drained a 30-footer on 4 for another birdie, to move to -2 in double-quick time. Sergio Garcia, also level par after three rounds, started out with a birdie, but he sent his drive at 3 behind a tree, then chunked a wedge into the water. A double, and he’s back to +1. I would say he’s saving up all his luck for next weekend’s major championship, but we know what always happens in those for Po’ Sergio.

1.00pm ET

Here we go, then, and Firestone’s playing fast and firm and long today. Like that’s news. But - glad tidings here for the pack chasing Rose, Furyk and Lowry - there are birdie chances out there. Camilo Villegas was out in 31 strokes, with birdies at 2, 4, 7 and 9; he’s +1 overall through 13. Billy Horschel is three under for his round after 13 holes; he’s +1 too. And Lee Westwood started his round with three birdies in a row, to move to -2 overall. Not that the course isn’t occasionally baring its teeth too. Westwood has since dropped a shot at 6, while his playing partner Dustin Johnson has started 5-5-6-3-5-4, a run containing two double bogeys, a bogey and a birdie. His double at 3 was the result of a sand shot thinned straight through the green. He’s +5. The only way is up for the big man. One hopes.

12.00pm ET

It’s fair to say Jim Furyk is due another big victory. Since winning the US Open all those years ago, at Olympia Fields in 2003, he’s had nine top-ten finishes in the majors. It’s a run that’s included two second places in the US Open, a second place at the PGA, a fourth-placed finish at the Open, plus a tie for tenth at Augusta. He’s also finished in the top ten of a World Golf Championship event on 14 occasions. But he’s never won one. At this particular tournament, he’s finished in the top ten nine times. It’s fair to say he’s due another big one.

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