Shane Lowry is in a commanding position at the top of the Irish Open leaderboard
Shane Lowry is eager to deliver a memorable performance for the Doonbeg spectators as he enters the final round with a commanding four-stroke advantage at the Irish Open, following a determined third-round 65.
The County Offaly golfer had to dig deep for his five-under-par score, producing a remarkable sequence of nine consecutive putts to maintain his cushion over the pursuing field as he chases his first individual victory in four years.
The 2019 Champion Golfer has rediscovered his finest form this week, striding confidently across the dunes while others have struggled in the challenging, blustery conditions.
“Fun,” is how Lowry has described his experience on the course this week, though he acknowledges he’ll be experiencing vastly different emotions on Sunday if he fails to secure a home triumph for the passionate supporters.
“I obviously want to try and enjoy it as much as I can, but there’s only one way in which I’m going to enjoy this tomorrow and we all know what that is. We’ll see how that goes,” he said.
“It’s been an amazing week so far, Ireland has done great again with another amazing golf tournament, and I’m happy to be on the top of the leaderboard, and I’m so excited to go out tomorrow and hopefully give myself a chance to win.”
Throughout the week, large galleries have tracked Lowry around the West Clare links,reports the Irish Mirror. Supporters remained on the course well past 7:30pm on Saturday evening, peering through the fading light to witness Lowry establish his position at the summit of the leaderboard.
“I look around at the crowd and the support I got. You know, it’s late on a Saturday night. People have kids out there and they have to get home,” he added.
“I’m chuffed that they stayed behind to support me, and hopefully they can come out tomorrow and give me some more support.”
It has been almost exactly four years since Lowry last claimed an individual title. Memorable Ryder Cup performances and a team triumph alongside Rory McIlroy carry their own significance, but securing silverware through individual brilliance brings a different level of satisfaction entirely.
The near misses have been plentiful. Perhaps most painfully at the Cognizant Classic earlier this year, when a commanding three-shot advantage evaporated in devastating fashion down the final stretch.
Lowry has proven himself capable of grinding out significant individual victories previously. He possesses the ability to deliver when it matters most, particularly on Irish links courses, as demonstrated at Baltray and Royal Portrush.
Breaking this prolonged winless streak has become increasingly important, and there could scarcely be a more fitting occasion than Sunday at Doonbeg to finally end the drought.
“I felt great out there, I really felt great out there. I was just staying in, shot by shot and was doing my thing,” he stated.
“It’s obviously going to be a big day for me tomorrow. I’m going out leading my home tournament, and it would mean the world to me to knock this one off.
“I’m gonna put my head down, get back to work whenever my tee time is and give it a run.”
Click here to sign up to our sport newsletter, bringing you the latest sports news, headlines and top stories.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login