A hot putter put Shane Lowry right into contention on a weather-delayed opening day at the Memorial tournament in Dublin, Ohio.

Lowry needed just 25 putts, and 11 of those being one-putts, in a very respectable three-under par 69 and trail just a shot behind early clubhouse leader, Collin Morikawa.

Morikawa posted seven birdies in a six-under par 66 to be the early clubhouse leader on the virtually completely redesigned Jack Nicklaus designed course.

The opening round of the $9.3m event was delayed on two seperate occasions and with this year’s delay now the 45^th occasion in the 46-year history of ‘Jack’s Event’ play that has been interrupted by poor weather.

Lowry was four-under and sharing fourth place and with three holes to play, when lightning halted play for a minute shy of two hours.

The reigning Open Champion had grabbed four birdies in a continuation of his recent good form, and in also his first event back on the Tour since sharing fourth place in last month’s PGA Championship.

Though when play resumed following the delay, Lowry was handed a plugged lie in a greenside bunker in a penultimate hole bogey.

Lowry was again in a sand trap guarding the final green but got up-and-down in sinking a five-and-a-half footer to save par and head back to the clubhouse for a second time in his round with rain still falling to be sharing seventh place.

“I’m pretty happy with how I played,” said Lowry.

“I drove the ball very well. Out here you need to be out in the fairway because the rough is so thick and so penal. I’m not sure I was in the rough once today. Couple of fairway bunkers maybe.

“I was pretty happy with how I did and just disappointed with my finish. I hit a perfect 9-iron into 17 but it came up short. Though I hit a good drive on the last and still struggled, I hit a bad second shot, missed the green.

“So, disappointed in finishing badly, but I’m pretty happy with my score”.

Lowry is teeing-up this week for a first time since his brilliant share of fourth place in last month’s PGA Championship and the Clara golfer’s best finish since capturing the 2019 Open Championship.

Lowry grabbed a first birdie in holing a three footer at the par-5 fifth hole and then moved to two-under in sinking a nine-foot putt at the next, the par-4 sixth.

He pared the next five holes before landing his tee shot at the par-3 12^th some seven-feet behind the flagstick and holed the putt to move to three-under par.

Lowry was all over the flag with his approach at the par-3 14^th ahead of holing his four-footer for a fourth birdie of his round.

The siren then sounded at 12.46pm local Ohio time and with players returning at 2.45pm.  Though it was some 35-minutes later when players were called from the course for a second time due to more lightning.

It was a good all-round display from Lowry hitting 12/14 fairways, 10 of 18 greens in regulation and with 13 outwards nine putts and a dozen over his closing nine, and with one-putting the 10^th to 14^th holes inclusive.

In contrast to Lowry, Harrington struggled on the Ohio course with his score of horror six-over 78 to now be a 15^th occasion, and since his Memorial debut in 2003, in failing to break 70.

Harrington teed-off from the 10^th but it was horror outward nine for the European Ryder Cup captain in slumping to seven-over par through nine holes.

Harrington doubled the par-3 12^th hole in finding water off the tee and also doubled the par-4 14^th before finding water left off the tee at 18 but then taking four shots from just 56-feet shy of the flag for a ‘7’.

The present World No. 145 finally grabbed a first birdie with a three-footer at the par-3 third hole and the 12^th of his round however Harrington gave the shot back at the next.

Harrington was at the side of his 14^th green and sharing last place among the 68 players who teed-up in the morning when the siren sounded.

He returned to hole a one-footer for birdie but then bogeyed his 17^th but ended in holing a 21-foot birdie bomb.