The writing was on the wall and now it has been confirmed that Shane Lowry has missed the cut at the Masters.

After a spirited display in the opening round, the Offaly man's campaign at Augusta was crushed by a slew of bogeys on the front nine yesterday. And a double-bogey on the 10th hole made the task of squeezing through to the weekend, an almost impossible prospect.

A birdie on the 13th followed by five pars, allowed him to finish his second round with some redemption, but it was not enough to correct the damage of the earlier holes as he carded a seven-over 79.

And yet, there was still some hope for Lowry. The projected cut was expected to come in at seven-over at one point, which would have given Lowry a chance of progressing to the final rounds.

But as the remaining players completed their second round, the final number for the cut settled on six-over to confirm Lowry's exit.

Speaking to the Independent.ie, a dejected Lowry said he will retreat to the Hilton Head next week to try and put the disappointing outcome behind him.

Meanwhile, Lowry has plenty to look forward to in his personal life, following the birth of his first child with wife Wendy Horner. The pair welcomed baby Iris last month, after confirming the news of their child's impending arrival in November.