Shane Lowry wins The Open!

Irishman thrills home fans with six-shot victory

Ten years after winning The Irish Open as an amateur, 32-year old Shane Lowry’s dream has come true. He has won his first Major – The Open Championship. And the lucky Irishman had the honour of doing so in front of an enthusiastic home crowd. The burly, bearded golfer from Clara in the Republic of Ireland secured a tremendous victory in the 148th Open Championship at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland (18-21 July) by an outstanding six shots with a score of 15-under par leaving the likes of Americans Brooks Koepka and Rickie Fowler in his wake.

How did he do it? Day three was the key. After a magnificent display of golf on Saturday, he took the outright lead in The Open in County Antrim. He had blitzed the Dunluce Links with eight birdies for a third round score of 8-under par, 63 to get to 16-under for the tournament sending the already excited crowds into a premature state of Sunday frenzy. And so it was that the amiable Irishman created a comfortable four-shot cushion going into the final round of the 148th Open Championship. England’s Tommy Fleetwood was his nearest contender on 12-under par with American JB Holmes, the first round leader, a further two behind.

Battling in the rain

The early starters would have the best of the weather in the final round as heavy rain was forecast. The R&A decided to bring the tee-times forward with the storm in mind. And yes, the heavy rain did come just as the leaders were halfway through their rounds. As if it wasn’t tough enough to lead The Open and potentially win your first Major, somehow the almost local lad (Shane Lowry is from the Republic of Ireland in the south of the island) just kept on smiling and chatting with his caddie. He didn’t seem to have a care in the world. He was enjoying himself on one of his favourite courses, indeed one of Ireland’s golfing gems. No doubt living on an island, he’s used to playing in heavy storms and rain. He looks a hardy type who can withstand a raindrop or two.

Enthusiastic fans bring home their Champion

Tommy Fleetwood hung on to Lowry’s black shirt tails for most of the round, even narrowing the gap to four shots at the 12th. While the Irishman’s birdie putt narrowly-missed, the Englishman holed his to claw one shot back. A good up and down from the bunker at 13 saw Lowry maintain his four-shot lead. At the next, it was Fleetwood who found the sand with his drive. It cost him a double bogey. Lowry dropped a shot here too. But it incurred little damage. He was now five ahead with four holes to play. Surely, he was home and dry? No, not necessarily as anything can happen in a Major down the final stretch and often does. The enthusiastic, cheering crowds can lead you into a sense of having already won the Championship, so it is important to stay in the moment and focus on each individual shot. Lowry’s bearded buddy of a bagman seemed to have all the right credentials to assist his player in this respect.

A birdie at the par-4, 15th clinched the deal for Lowry. It got him back to 15-under par and so lead by six. The Englishman could do no better than four straight pars to close his challenge. Lowry had the luxury of being able to enjoy his walk down the final hole acknowledging the applause of the crowds and even hugging his caddie on the way. He sailed home to victory at Royal Portrush with par, par, par for a tally of 269. Shane Lowry’s score of 16-under par – a triumph by six shots in extremely tough weather conditions at times – is right up there as one of the best in the long history of the Championship. And then to produce such quality golf in the first Open Championship to be held in Ireland for 68 years in a strong field, in front of a home crowd which included his parents, wife Wendy and their cute young daughter, Iris, well it doesn’t get much better than that.

Many congratulations to you Shane Lowry, 2019 Champion Golfer of the Year, on a well-deserved victory!

Wendy Hoad

PICTURED: 2019 Champion Golfer of the Year Shane Lowry.