The world No 15 started like a man possessed at the demanding Copperhead track at Innisbrook and made six birdies to match the lowest nine-hole score of his PGA Tour career.
After starting with three birdies in a row, he made another at the 14th, then rolled in a 35-footer at the 16th before making a two at the 17th to surge two clear on six-under.
He cooled down on the front nine, dropping shots at the second and ninth in cold and blustery conditions. But he was more than happy to lurk just a shot behind early clubhouse leaders Viktor Hovland and Ryo Hisatsune.
“I just got it going,” Lowry (left) beamed. “I got some nice numbers and then hit some good shots, and when I hit good shots, I converted the putts.
“I played that nine holes pretty flawlessly; didn’t really miss many shots… unfortunately, I wasn’t as good on the other nine, but I think four-under on a day like today, if you had given me that in the locker room this morning I would have taken it.”
Lowry played in multiple layers in chilly conditions and while he expected the later starters to take advantage of better weather, he was pleased.
“I think somebody might get out and go away this afternoon,” he said. “But I think I’ll be [off] late enough tomorrow and with two good days, I could be dangerous.”
Hovland put three successive missed cuts behind him to add a 67 to his opening 71 to lead alongside Hisatsune, who shot 66 as Séamus Power’s 72 left him on level-par.
Lowry won’t play again before the Masters, but Rory McIlroy will join Pádraig Harrington and Scottie Scheffler at next week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open.
On the DP World Tour, Tom McKibbin goes into the second round of the 54-hole Porsche Singapore Classic tied for 24th, four shots behind leaders Marcus Armitage and Matthew Jordan.
Five-under after 11 holes, he finished poorly to card a three-under 69 at Laguna National in his first DP World Tour start since moving to LIV Golf and confirmed he plans to play more DP World Tour events before The Open in Portrush.
“I’ve got the LIV events to play up until then, and then I think I’ll take a look and try to squeeze one or two more DP events in before that as well,” he said.
Like McKibbin, Conor Purcell also birdied the first three holes but he fell away and signed for a 73 that left him 83rd.
In India, Alex Maguire (71) and Liam Nolan (74) missed the three-under-par cut by a shot in the HotelPlanner Tour’s Delhi Challenge.
