Shane Lowry loves the grind of a strong test and it’s showing at Bay Hill. He had six birdies Friday in slightly tamer conditions for a 5-under 67, giving him a two-shot lead going into the weekend at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

A day after blustery conditions produced the highest first-round scoring average (74.624) since 2011, the wind relented and the temperature rose into the mid-70s to present a course ripe for

Shane Lowry rang up six birdies in a 5-under-par 67 to establish a two-shot lead halfway through the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Friday in Orlando, Fla.

Northern Irish duo Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry played alongside each other on day one of the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Golf Club in Orlando, Florida

Among those who shot 80 or higher were Max Homa and Cameron Young, the latter of whom rifled his opening tee shot out of bounds. Homa, meanwhile, has struggled for almost 10 months now, a far cry from the top-10 player he was a year ago.

Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy are both well placed after the first day's action at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, sitting two and three shots off the leader respectively.

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry were among the late starters in the opening round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational and both made a strong start

Shane Lowry loves the grind of a strong test and it's showing at Bay Hill. He had six birdies Friday in slightly tamer conditions for a 5-under 67, giving him a two-shot lead going into the weekend at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

Shane Lowry had six birdies Friday in slightly tamer conditions for a 5-under 67, giving him a two-shot lead going into the weekend at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.