Lowry's 66 shows low scores are gettable as Open field chases Scheffler
The 2019 champion on this very course, Lowry couldn't get his game going with an opening one-under par 70 on Thursday and he was then hit for a controversial two-shot penalty after finishing his 18 holes on the Friday.
His Saturday round was played while struggling with a virus that had also affected his wife and daughters and it showed as the Irishman carded a three-over 74. But Sunday was better, six birdies and a single bogey leaving him at two-under for the tournament.
Lowry almost produced a fairytale finish with his chip third shot hitting the flag but failing to disappear into the cup. Not to be but the roar that greeted him as he approached the 18th green and left it was enormous.
The 18th shook with hope.
Shane Lowry almost chips in on the final hole. pic.twitter.com/hBqwI9G0tU — The Open (@TheOpen) July 20, 2025
His own new course record of 63 was a possibility when he produced his sixth birdie on the par-five 12th but he parred his way home from there. As has been the case most of this week, low scores are gettable at Portrush on the final day.
That's good and bad news for most of the field as they go about chasing leader Scottie Scheffler who, at 14-under par, holds a four-shot lead on Haotong Li. Matt Fitzpatrick is on minus-9 with Rory McIlroy starting off at eight-under.
Six shots is an improbable difference for the 2014 champion and local hero to make up on the best player in the world right now. Scheffler has won his last nine tournaments when leading after 54 holes.
McIlroy produced plenty of early magic for an enormous and vociferous gallery on Saturday with three birdies from his first four holes, while Scheffler took some time to find his stride. Something similar will be needed on Sunday afternoon.
Nearly a hole-in-one on Sunday morning for Shane Lowry ⛳️ pic.twitter.com/ENQZ9wurLt — Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) July 20, 2025
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Jake O'Brien comments will be music to the ears of Everton boss David Moyes
Jake O'Brien has a lot to be grateful for when it comes to Everton boss David Moyes - and he is only too happy to repay the Toffees chief by continuing this season to be as versatile as possible. The Corkman's Everton career appeared to be going nowhere before Moyes' January return to the Merseyside outfit. He had played just twice in the Premier League under Sean Dyche, the man who signed him from Lyon last summer for around €20million. Moyes was quick to utilise the 24-year-old, and O'Brien went on to play 18 more times in the top-flight after the Scot returned to Everton for his second spell in charge of the club. However, he did have to adapt to a new position, as Moyes saw the Irishman as the answer to his right-back dilemma - and O'Brien ended up playing the majority of his games in the second-half of the season in that unfamiliar position. While he favours a central role, ahead of the new campaign O'Brien has pledged to line out wherever his manager sees fit. He told the Everton website: 'I think it's important to be versatile, to not just know one position but to know various positions – and I think I'm still learning. 'But it's good to play out there. I'm happy to play in the two positions and if I'm needed there, I'll be ready.' O'Brien is back in pre-season training after a busy June international window with the Boys in Green. With two pre-season games already under his belt, he is eager for more action to fine-tune himself for the upcoming campaign. 'I know it's been a tough pre-season to start with, but we've got big games coming up and it's important we get valuable minutes in them and get the sharpness up,' he said. 'It's early and I'm just going to go back, train, and make sure that I get sharper and more fit. There are big games coming up so it's important that I keep training hard and become more sharp come the start of the Premier League.' Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email .
Irish Post
7 hours ago
- Irish Post
Scheffler wins the Open in Portrush as golf enters a new era
SCOTTIE Scheffler picked up the Claret Jug in Co. Antrim with authority, finishing four shots clear at 17 under par. After a composed final round of 68, he won the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush. Despite the best efforts of the rest of the world's top golfers — including Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, it was a procession for Sheffler, with the result not in any really doubt from around the fifth hole on the final day. Truly the caravan has moved on and we are in a new era: the New Jersey man who was brought up in Texas from the age of six now looks set to dominate game for the foreseeable future. At the seaside links in Portrush the world No 1 added The Open to his 2022 and 2024 Masters trophies and the 2025 PGA Championship—making him the first player in the modern era to win his first four majors by at least three strokes each. Only the legendary Young Tom Morris and pre‑WWI greats managed similar dominance. Scheffler's weekend was a masterclass in links golf. He opened with a birdie at the first, reached seven shots clear before being pegged back by a double bogey on the 8th, then responded with solid putting down the stretch to maintain control. Every time he had a minor setback, it was almost immediately rectified. It seems he now has the perfect temperament for dealing with the major championships. His composure under pressure mirrored the performance of Tiger Woods at his peak—prompting Shane Lowry to draw that very comparison. With this Open Championship win, Scheffler is edging towards joining an elite group. His Grand Slam only requires the US Open for him to join Nicklaus, Woods, Hogan, Gary Player , Gene Sarazen and Rory McIlroy as players who have won all four golfing majors. Rory McIlroy's valiant charge on home soil produced a stirring but bittersweet performance for the home crowd. Finishing on 10 under par, McIlroy secured a shared seventh place with a final‑round 69. The top‑ten finish in his home Open marks a strong end to an eventful season. Having won the Masters in April—completing his own career Grand Slam—McIlroy remains one of the greats of the game, but the Open on home soil has long been his ambition. At 36, he remains in contention and is expected to mount a fierce challenge again at next year's Open. Shane Lowry—champion at Portrush in 2019—attempted to channel that magic once more but found himself beset by adversity midweek. In round two, he incurred a rare two‑shot penalty for accidentally moving his ball during a practice swing—a decision made after television replay review. That saw his score shift from 2 under to even par, a blow compounded by illness on Saturday. He never really recovered from these two setbacks. See More: Golf, Open Championship, Royal Portrush
Irish Post
7 hours ago
- Irish Post
First Minister of Northern Ireland congratulates Scottie Scheffler on Open win
FIRST MINISTER of Northern Ireland Michelle O'Neill has congratulated Scottie Scheffler on his success in the Open championship over the weekend. The US golfer won the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club yesterday afternoon. The American, who finished four shots clear of the field on 17 under par, collected the coveted Claret Jug on the 18th green of the Dunluce Links in front of thousands of ecstatic fans. "I want to congratulate Scottie Scheffler on winning The Open – what a brilliant performance over the past four days,' Ms O'Neill said. First Minister Michelle O'Neill and deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly pictured with the Claret Jug at Royal Portrush Golf Club (Pic: Kelvin Boyles/ "Of course he has had so much success on the PGA Tour and in other tournaments, but I have no doubt this is really special for him as it is his first time winning golf's oldest major championship,' she added. 'This year's Open has been another money-can't-buy showcase for our beautiful north coast and the amazing product we have to offer to visitors and investors. I would like to pay tribute to all the golfers, the organisers, and of course the fans who turned out in record numbers, for making this tournament such a huge success. "It's been another incredible week for golf fans here, and I know they will be looking forward to The Open returning to our shores in the years ahead.' Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, who was in the grandstand at the 18th green to see the world's number one golfer lift the Claret Jug, said she was 'delighted' for him. "I am absolutely delighted for Scottie Scheffler, winning his fourth major here at the magnificent Royal Portrush Golf Club,' she said. "The noise was incredible as he walked up the 18th with huge crowds lining the fairway. The atmosphere was electric; what an amazing sight. 'And what a great effort from our own Rory McIlroy, but unfortunately it just wasn't to be. Scottie Scheffler has been magnificent throughout the tournament and thoroughly deserves to be the Champion Golfer.' She added: "It has been another fantastic Open Championship - yet again showing that Northern Ireland excels at putting on major sporting events. "The television coverage of this week's event has been seen in more than 190 countries across the globe. "And this worldwide exposure showing our stunning north coast and Northern Ireland as a must-visit golf tourism destination will attract more visitors to our shores and bring significant benefits for our tourism and hospitality sectors and wider economy."
