Shane Lowry secured outright second behind winner Rory McIlroy after a strong back nine in Sunday’s AT&T Pro-Am at Pebble Beach.

McIlroy sealed his 27th win on the PGA Tour following a final round of 66 to finish at 21 under par, two shots clear of his good friend and Ryder Cup teammate Lowry.

The Offaly native had fallen off the pace with a one over par front nine of 37, but put himself back in contention with a run of four birdies on 11, 12, 14 and 16.

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However, his streak came to a halt on 17 when he failed to convert another birdie opportunity, leaving McIlroy with a three-shot cushion.

Lowry tagged on another birdie on 18, but a par for McIlroy was enough to claim his first win of the new season.

While McIlroy took home the first prize of $3.6 million, Lowry netted a tasty $2.16 million for finishing second on his own.

As one of the PGA Tour’s ‘signature’ events, the total prize fund was a massive $20 million with every player finishing in the top event taking home at least $535,000.

It was Lowry’s 30th top 10 finish in a PGA Tour event and the fourth time he has finished runner-up.

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