This was not your Irish Tourist Board’s Irish Open. Rain gear and ski caps were the rage in the wet and windy weather that produced the second homegrown winner of this event in three years. As for that other winner, Padraig Harrington bowed out of the tournament after 36 holes, having missed the cut by a stroke after shooting rounds of 73 and 68.
Lowry, who hails from Co. Offaly and is the son of renowned footballer Brendan Lowry, finished on even terms with England’s Robert Rock after 72 holes at 17-under-par 271, requiring a sudden-death playoff at the 18th hole. Neither man conceded anything the first two times they replayed 18; the third time was the charmer for Lowry when he finally put Rock away. Despite the defeat, Rock still left with the first prize money that Lowry could not accept due to his amateur status.
Lowry got off quickly on Thursday, shooting 67 (seven birdies against two bogeys). Friday’s round had him ascending the leaderboard and gave him a 2-stroke lead. He toyed with the course, carding 62, thanks to nine birdies and an eagle, offset by a single bogey.
Rock and Lowry went out together over the weekend and could, thus, monitor each other’s progress. Despite a stoppage of play early on Saturday due to severe weather conditions, Lowry hung tough. He actually led by two strokes teeing off at 18 on Saturday, but his bogey and Rock’s birdie there left them all square for Sunday morning. Johan Edfors, two strokes behind them, was the only other golfer seemingly in with a chance. The nearest pursuers were another four strokes in back of Edfors.
Lowry and Rock both played steady golf that yielded only one birdie apiece on the front nine come Sunday. Lowry dropped two shots off the pace after bogeys at the ninth and 11th holes, but a Rock bogey at 12 and Lowry’s birdie at 14 had them even again. Lowry drew ahead by a stroke at 16 with his birdie, which was matched at 17 by Rock. Lowry then missed a 4-foot putt at 18 for the win, which necessitated the playoff, which was played in steady rain.
Rock accommodated Lowry on the third playoff hole with a pitch shot that sailed over the green. Rock needed six strokes on the par-5, leaving Lowry to claim the trophy with one less swing.
“I can’t believe it,” Lowry said. “This is going to take a long time to sink in. I know my life is about to change forever. I got an invite here, it’s my first [European Tour] tournament and I would have been happy to make the cut. But then I shot the 62 and after that I thought, ‘This is my week. I can win.’ And I did.”
Lowry becomes the third amateur to win on the European Tour and the second this year after Danny Lee’s triumph. Lowry is also the third Irishman to enjoy a first win on the Tour in 2009; the other two are Rory McIlroy and Michael Hoey.
The event was also noteworthy for Graeme McDowell, who went Lowry one better on Friday, when he shot a course-record 61. That came on the heels of McDowell’s opening 77.
“You know, 77 really wasn’t what I was looking for,” McDowell said after Friday’s round. “I was extremely disappointed, obviously to come here in front of my home fans and disappoint the way I did.
Further disappointment was in store for McDowell, who pulled out of the tournament on Saturday, when a case of shin splints flared up.
“I picked up a bit of an injury on Thursday,” McDowell said. “[Friday], it got progressively worse. I’m not making any excuses but I was really struggling to walk. It’s only my second withdrawal and not something I want to get in the habit of doing, but I couldn’t risk it with two big events coming up. [The shins] are extremely swollen and not a lot of fun.”
Darren Clarke appears to have ironed out some kinks in his game. He tied for 14th place at 6-under-par 282 (71-68-73-70), which was 11 strokes off the standard set by Lowry and Rock.
Also making the cut were Gary Murphy, who tied for 25th place at 284 (70-69-75-70), McIlroy, in joint-50th at 288 (69-68-76-75), Damien McGrane, with a share of 57th place at 289 (69-71-75-74), and Paul McGinley in joint-67th place at 292 (71-68-77-76).