'Lowry back at scene of biggest win as Open returns to Portrush'

BBC News

2 days ago

"Have you heard a noise like that on a golf course ever before?" I recall bellowing those words to BBC Radio 5 Live listeners amid the celebratory din that accompanied Shane Lowry tapping in to complete his tumultuous victory at the 2019 Open.That short putt at Royal Portrush capped one of the greatest performances ever witnessed at golf's most historic championship. He finished at 15 under par, six clear of England's Tommy Fleetwood.It was no cliff hanger, the outcome had been known with an hour to spare but it was still a properly captivating moment that prompted such a full throated roar. An Irishman ending the 68-year wait to crown an Open champion on the island of Ireland.This was a nigh-on perfect script for one of the most eagerly anticipated championships ever played. It was such a success it returns to Northern Ireland's Antrim Coast this coming week, just six years on from that extraordinary competition.Back then, previous major winners Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington and Darren Clarke had been at the centre of the local pre-tournament hype.Lowry only came to the fore when the golf began.An early 67 put him within a shot of first-round leader JB Holmes. Lowry matched that score the following day before firing a scintillating 63 to take a four-shot lead into the final day.By the end he was a rampant winner. "The Saturday afternoon, the last few holes was the most incredible experience my whole career," Lowry told BBC Sport."Like, Sunday it was unbelievable, but Saturday was one of those days that I will remember forever."Martin Slumbers (the former R&A chief executive) said it is one of his most memorable Open moments and to hear him say that was pretty cool."Standing in the scorers afterwards and the crowd singing and all that type of stuff, and I was playing, you know, some of the best golf in my life. I felt like I couldn't do anything wrong."
'I couldn't eat I was so nervous'
Who knows what might have happened had Fleetwood made the most of a birdie chance on the first hole of the final round and Lowry had missed a challenging bogey putt on that opening green.His lead might have shrunk to a single shot in the blink of an eye. But it did not and Lowry completed a composed 72 to cruise home, roared on by the joyfully partisan galleries."Sunday was a tough day, but I got through it pretty well and thankfully I came out on the right side," said the 38-year-old from Clara, County Offaly.It was when Lowry birdied the 15th moments after Fleetwood's double bogey at the previous hole that the tournament was effectively over. The Irishman's father, Brendan, had somehow got himself inside the ropes and was punching the air with delight."The first time I saw him inside the ropes was on the fourth green," Lowry recalled. "And I made birdie there."Obviously he wouldn't have been able to see much outside the ropes."But that's why I do all this. You do it for your family and when I got to the 18th green, when you see everyone at the back of the green, that's when it hit me really hard what I had just achieved."Until then he had been in that often elusive mental zone of total concentration. It was as though he was the only person unaware of the cold, wet weather - the only man on the course not wearing waterproofs."I put them on on the eighth green and I three putted," he recalled. "And then I took them off for my tee shot on nine."Yeah, I was wearing a short sleeve, like a gilet top and it was pretty cold. I don't know what I was thinking, I couldn't eat, I was so nervous."I don't know what I was feeling but I knew what was at stake and if I didn't succeed how bad it would have been. I just didn't feel the weather like everyone else!"Lowry did not properly celebrate until he escaped Portrush and arrived in Dublin late that Sunday night. "I drove there," he said."I didn't have a drink until I got to Dublin. I mean what a night it was and the days that followed. And if I did it again, I'd do the same all over again."You need to celebrate your achievements in this game because we lose so much."
'I'm not going to be happy unless I perform again'
Lowry had reason for optimism heading into that 2019 Open. He had won early that year in Abu Dhabi and decent form followed. But he also knew it could be a challenging week on home soil."It's funny, I always find Irish Opens quite difficult to go and play in and perform in because I try so hard and expect a lot of myself," said the man who landed that title as an amateur in 2009."Ultimately I want to win. I really, really want to win another one. And to go and play The Open in Portrush was a whole other level of that expectation and that want to succeed."But for some reason, it just went well that week for me. I went in there a little bit more under the radar than I normally would."Because of Rory and GMac and Clarkie and the Portrush connection there, I felt like I was just able to go up and do my thing."He knows returning this time will not have the same dynamic. While Masters champion McIlroy will still be centre of attention, the spotlight will also shine on Lowry."The first time in Portrush I felt there was no expectation on me apart from myself and you know it was all a Rory show. But I feel like it's gonna be a little bit different this time," he said."There will have to be something in place for me to go about my business the way I want because, ultimately, yes, it's great - I won there last time - but I'm not going to be happy unless I perform again there this time."Since that win he has claimed the 2022 BMW PGA title at Wentworth and won last year's Zurich Classic pairs event with McIlroy on the PGA Tour. Lowry climbed into the world's top 10 earlier this year and is currently 18th in the standings.He was ranked 33rd when he lifted the Claret Jug and now a veteran of two Ryder Cups he is clearly a finer player better equipped to deal with the game's biggest moments than he was in 2019.He laughed when I put this to him. "You have maybe given me something there, so maybe I'll use that," he smiled."I always feel like when I go to the Open Championship, if I can rock up mentally in the right place I can achieve something good that week."You know, not only that week in Portrush, but even Troon last year (finishing sixth)."I feel like I didn't get the best out of myself in Troon, albeit I had a great week, so I'll figure something out and do my best for this one."