Lowry First, Daylight A Distant Second As He Celebrates 444th Pro Event With Win 17-Years Since His Amateur Irish Open Triumph.

2 hours ago by 0

It was a case of Shane Lowry first and daylight a distant second as the Irishman celebrated his 444th pro event with a second Amgen Irish Open success and just over 17-years since capturing his ‘home’ open and a last event as an amateur.

Lowry had delighted all of Ireland capturing the 2009 Irish Open as an amatuer but only after a tense play-off but in stark contrast he’s brushed all and sundry aside in claimnig second Amgen Irish Open success’

It is also a first taste of success for the 39-year-old since the 2022 BMW PGA Champonship at Wentworth, after making history with a record 11-shot triumph at Trump Doonbeg.

Lowry took control following a course-record 62 on Friday and he put ‘the pedal to the metal’ on Sunday after earning a four-shot lead at 16-under-par score lead into the final round.

Birdies at the first, fifth, seventh and eighth saw him extend his advantage to seven at the turn as the rest of the field fought for the runner-up spot behind the 2019 Open Championship winner.

Four further gains saw him finish with a superb 63 and a 23-under-par total as he added more home soil glory following his memorable victory as an amateur in 2009 at County Louth.

As you can see from the images above among those there to congratulate Lowry was Trump Doonbeg owner President Donald Trump who presented the gleaming crystal trophy to Lowry.

Masters champ Patrick Reed and Red hot Chilean Joaquin Niemann were his closest rivals sharing second place at 12 under and with Lowry ecliping the largest margin of victory at this event set by Bernhard Langer at Portmarnock Golf Club in 1987 thanks to Lowry’s 29-footer for birdie at the last.

“This year has been quite difficult on the course for me, I had a few chances to win and had some really tough times,” said a gleaming Lowry.

“To come here this week and do this, I don’t do things by half measures. I can’t believe I’m standing here with that leaderboard.

Irish Open – Full scoreboard of top-10 finishers. DPWT

“A lot of things went right for me, but this has been the most spectacular week. Just everything about it, it’s just mad. I can’t believe it.

“When things aren’t going well at this level, it’s hard at home as well and my wife and kids have been a huge support and I love them so much. I’m so happy, this is for them.

“I can’t wait to bring a trophy home, my daughter keeps asking ‘when will you bring a trophy home?’. So yes, I can bring one home.

“Honestly I’m speechless, it’s hard to talk, I just can’t believe I’ve just done that and done it the way I’ve done it as well.”

The final group parred the next two holes, but Lowry’s advantage continued to grow when he rolled in another birdie at the fifth to reach 18 under.

Momentum was clearly with the home favourite and although he was on the fringe at the par-three seventh, Lowry drained the 43-foot putt for only the third birdie on the hole on Sunday.

Olesen could only par the next six holes after an opening bogey, and he was soon replaced as the leader’s nearest rival thanks to Reed’s birdie blitz.

The American, who leads the Race to Dubai Rankings, birdied the third, fourth, sixth, eighth and ninth and tenth to climb up to 12 under.

He still remained seven shots back, but only for a matter of minutes as Lowry added another gain at the eighth to become the first player at 20 under.

Lowry finished his front nine with only his sixth dropped shot of the week, however, he bounced back with a tap-in birdie at the tenth to regain his eight-shot lead.

It soon became ten in front thanks to a brilliant tee-shot into the par-three 14th for another birdie before adding a 44-foot effort from the fringe at the next.

The World Number 53 finished with a magical putt at the last to complete a brilliant triumph on home soil.

Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen hit an eagle and five birdies in his blemish-free 63 to sit in solo fourth at 11 under.

Italian Gregorio De Leo was also flawless in his 63 to sit one shot back with Tom McKibbin, while England’s Alex Fitpatrick and Olesen shared seventh at nine under and Scotland’s Ewen Ferguson and Swede Jens Dantorp were a stroke further adrift.

As well as a seventh DP World Tour crown, Lowry also took home $30,000 for the Course Record presented by Nexo with his eight-under-par 62 in round two.

FOOTNOTE ….

Lowry’s victory margin was the second-biggest on the DP World Tour this year. Yurav Premlall of South Africa won by 14 shots against the field at the Estrella Damm Catalunya Championship in May.

“I just don’t do things half-measures,” Lowry said with a grin.

“I can’t believe I’m standing here on top of the leaderboard. I said to my caddie — I didn’t know how I was doing — I said to him on 14 after I holed that birdie putt, ‘How are we doing? How far ahead are we?’ He said, ‘Far enough.’ So I was happy with that.”

Well done, Shane 



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *