Shane Lowry hangs tough to set up another Open challenge at Royal Portrush
A one-under par 70, carded through the worst of the conditions, amounted to a serious effort from the Offaly man. It left him just inside the top 20 and three behind the leaders coming off the 18th hole after a round that threw up three birdies and two bogeys.
'Yeah, it was hard. I watched a bit of golf early this morning and I could see how even firm the golf course had gotten in the last day. Yeah, I've played a lot of golf around the country the last few weeks and the weather's been perfect, then you go today.
'I think I adapted pretty well. I think I played very well today. I was really happy with my day. Probably one or two shots, but any time you shoot one-under par around Portrush in those conditions, I think is decent.'
Lowry was happy with his game. This was a round of golf that he had run through his head for weeks. He knew it wouldn't be easy and he knew that first tee shot – with out-of-bounds on both sides and so many eyes on him as a returning champion – wouldn't be easy.
'I would put that up there with first tee at the Ryder Cup. I was fighting with that all morning this morning. It's going to be all right for the rest of the week. I just wanted to get my tournament under way.
'I obviously want so much to do well in this tournament. I want so much to give myself a chance on Sunday. You can't do that without hitting a good first tee shot. I knew I needed to do that. We all know the dangers that first hole can throw at you, so I was happy to get under way.'
If the opener brought pressure then so did the close. The cheer for Lowry as he walked down 18 in a competitive round for the first time since winning the Open six years ago was huge, but it added to the pressure as stood over a tricky par putt.
'Yeah, I wasn't expecting 18 to be full with Rory out on the course. The grandstand was full. Nice reception walking down 18. It was pretty cool. Actually, like you said, there's an extra little bit of pressure on that five-footer.
'It would have been disappointing to miss that. Yeah, look, like I said, the crowd have been amazing all week. I won the last time here, and I'm trying to use it to my advantage.' Leading the way in the clubhouse as late afternoon crept up was Denmark's Jacob Skov Olesen, Haotong Li of China and Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick on four-under par after their respective rounds of 67.
All told, there were only 33 of 153 players – with three still to tee off – under par approaching 4.30pm on the back of a day that started blustery, called and then delivered a good spell of rain to really challenge the world's best.
Ominously, world number one Scottie Scheffler ended just one off the pace after a three-under 68 that ended with real momentum after a birdie at the dangerous par-3 17th hole named 'Calamity' and another at the following par-four 17th.
Rory McIlroy teed off surrounded by an enormous crowd at 3.10pm, found the rough on the left – but stayed in-bounds – and missed a short putt for par before claiming that shot back immediately a hole later. He is level par through four.
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