Northern Ireland had to wait 68 years for the Open Championship to return, but it was certainly worth the wait after native son Shane Lowry cruised to the title on Sunday.
Lowry finished at -15, six shots better than runner-up Tommy Fleetwood. Fleetwood was within three with a birdie putt on the opening hole in the final round, but he missed it and never seriously challenged after that.
Tony Finau shot a final-round 71 to finish alone in third, while Brooks Koepka and Lee Westwood tied for fourth with 6-under-par scores.
For Lowry, it was his first win in a major championship, and it came in the perfect spot, Royal Portrush, which had last hosted The Open in 1951. It was the only time it had been outside Scotland and England.
Lowry took the place of the assumed countryman to win the title, Rory McIlroy, who missed the cut by one shot on Friday.
He became the sixth Irishman to win a golf major, joining McIlroy, Darren Clarke, Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington, and Fred Daly.
Saturday Push
Lowry all but won this tournament on Saturday, when he shot an 8-under 63 in the third round. It was a bogey-free round and pushed Lowry into the driver’s seat entering Sunday’s final round.
Lowry and J.B. Holmes had the lead after two rounds at 8-under par, but Holmes fell off the pace with a 2-under 69 on Saturday, followed by a horrible fourth round, as he shot 16-over 87.
He wasn’t the only one that had troubles with the course and conditions at the Open, with McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson among the big names that didn’t make the cut. It was the first time that Mickelson and Woods had played in the same tournament and neither made the cut.
Lowry earned $1,935,000 for the victory, more than doubling his prize money this season.
Battling The Weather
Weather conditions weren’t good, which wasn’t a surprise. Officials moved up tee times by an hour Sunday to try to avoid the weather forecasts that called for heavy rain and very strong wind gusts.
Still, it seemed nothing was going to stop Lowry, who had eight bogeys during the week, but five of those came in the final round. This was his first win on the Tour this season in 12 events.
Lowry had missed the cut in the last four Open Championships, and he was still unsure of himself throughout the final round on Sunday despite his lead.
“I kept on telling (caddie Bo Martin) how nervous I was,” Lowry said afterward, “how scared I was, how much I didn’t want to mess it up.
“I didn’t feel great out there. It was probably the most uncomfortable I’ve ever felt on a golf course. You’re out there trying to win an Open in your home country, and it’s just incredibly difficult.”
Lowry could have fooled a lot of people with how difficult it was, as he looked at ease throughout the tournament until finally bringing home the title.
