Lowry was teeing-up at nearby Spyglass Hill, and named in honour of Treasure Island author Robert Louis Stevenson who was a regular visitor to the region.
The Offlay golfer, who had teed-off first from the 10th hole at 8am local time, ended his round some five-hours and 15-minutes later with a one-under par 71.
This week’s event is Lowry’s first PGA Tour appearance in some six months since losing his Tour card and with his round also including four birdies and three bogeys under a preferred lie rule given the softness of all three host courses after so much rain of late.
Shane Lowry shakes hands with amateur parner Gerry McManus as his caddy Ronan Flood and pro Rafa Cabrera-Bello look on
“I am pleased in holing a couple of nice par-saving putts there at the end of my round,” he said.
“Overall, I didn’t play that great so it could have been worse and it could have been better.
”In saying that the golf course was there for the taking this morning as there was just no wind.
“So, if I had of shot level or over-par I would be standing here very unhappy.”
Lowry ended his round sharing 68th place in the now 155-player field and is heading to Pebble Beach for round two but with a 90% chance of rain.
Lowry was spotted ahead of the start to the Euro 6.64m event with some six different drivers in his Srixon bag.
He had won in Abu Dhabi packing the new Callaway ‘Epic Flash’ driver in his bag but after much time on the Pebble Beach range, the current World No. 44 went with a Srixon driver.
“I drove the ball just alright at Abu Dhabi but I was hitting as many fairways as I would have liked,” he said.
“But in switching to the Srixon today, I hit the ball great so that will be staying in bag.”
And it was a virtual Irish domination of the first match with all but one of the eight walking in the first match being Irish-born.
There was Lowry along with caddy, Bo Martin. Gerry McManus is Lowry’s amateur partner and with Ronan Flood, and the long-time caddy to the presently injured Padraig Harrington, calling the shots for McManus.
In the group also was Colin Byrne the Irish-born caddy to Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello and with Cabrera-Bello’s amateur partner, Dermot Desmond who has Rory McIlroy’s former caddy, J P Fitzgerald on the bag.
