Shane Lowry played brilliantly on his road to a resounding triumph at The 148th Open, but his finest round was unquestionably his record-breaking third.
Lowry had already created a lot of excitement at Royal Portrush, where he was tied for the lead at eight under with J.B. Holmes at the halfway stage of the Championship.
However, very few could have predicted the performance the Irishman would go on to give at The Open that Saturday.
Lowry surged clear of the world-class field in sublime fashion, giving himself a four-shot advantage with a 63 that set a new course record following the remodel of Portrush in 2016.
Lowry’s round’s unadulterated stats were rather striking. He made eight birdies, hit seventeen of the eighteen greens in regulation, and did not drop a single shot.
The enormous crowd was thrilled to be celebrating an Irish champion golfer, so it was all the more amazing that the man from Clara performed so brilliantly in the face of an increasingly frantic situation that turned the links.
Lowry only became stronger as the cheers got louder, whereas many may have found it difficult to deal with the mounting pressure.
Lowry picked up strokes at the third and fifth holes, then cranked it up at the turn, birdieing the ninth, tenth, and twelfth to strengthen his campaign for the Claret Jug. His approach to the 10th was a standout, as he exploited the contours of the course superbly after a lengthy conversation with his caddy, Bo Martin.
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Lowry produced another amazing run down the stretch to seize control of the Championship, making three consecutive birdies from the 15th, including a two at 16 thanks to a fantastic tee shot.
He came within a whisker of another birdie at the 18th, which would have matched Branden Grace’s major record score of 62 in The 146th Open at Royal Birkdale.
Although his putt for a three at the last stayed above ground, it did nothing to dampen the festive mood at Portrush, which was maintained the next day when Lowry won by six strokes.
Reflecting on that third round, Lowry said: “I said to Bo walking off the 17th tee: ‘We might never have a day like this on the golf course again, so let’s enjoy this next half an hour.’
“And that’s what I did. The crowd was incredible. I just can’t believe what it was like.
“Honestly, that’s the most incredible day I’ve ever had on the golf course.”
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