Shane Lowry's FedEx Cup hopes fade after level-par round

Shane Lowry's hopes of extending his season in the FedEx Cup lie in the balance after a disappointing level-par 70 at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina.

The Offaly golfer is likely to require a finish close to the top 20, but will likely start the final round outside the top 50 as he couldn’t improve on his two-under score.

Lowry started with four straight pars before picking up his first shot of the day at the par-five fifth after reaching the green in two, but he found water at the seventh to give that shot back.

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The back nine started in disappointing fashion with bogeys at 10 and 11, the latter after finding the left rough off the tee, but a beautiful approach to six feet on the 13th saw Lowry claim his second birdie of the day.

Lowry moved to four-under with a brilliant eagle on the 15th, knocking his second to 13 feet from 230 yards, but it was followed by a bogey to leave him on the two-under for the tournament.

That score leaves him 12 shots off American Russell Henley who picked up two shots in his opening three holes to move to 14-under.