Shane Lowry’s Open: quick facts
- When and where: July 2019, the 148th Open Championship at Royal Portrush, Co. Antrim.
- Why it was special: the first Open played in Northern Ireland since 1951, 68 years earlier.
- The winner: Shane Lowry from Clara, Co. Offaly, by six shots from Tommy Fleetwood.
- The key round: a third-round 63, a new course record, which put him four shots clear going into Sunday.
When the Open Championship returned to Northern Ireland in 2019, for the first time in 68 years, the whole island hoped an Irish golfer would win it. On the final day, in wind and rain on the Antrim coast, a big bearded man from Offaly walked up the 18th fairway with the Claret Jug all but won, and thousands of fans broke through to follow him.
This is the full final round.
Who is Shane Lowry?
Shane Lowry comes from Clara, a small town in Co. Offaly, and from a proper GAA family: his father Brendan won an All-Ireland football medal with Offaly in 1982. Shane chose golf, and announced himself in 2009 by winning the Irish Open while still an amateur.
His career had big highs and painful lows. In 2016 he led the US Open by four shots going into the final round and didn’t win, a defeat that stayed with him. By 2019 he was a popular, respected player, but nobody was sure he’d ever win a major.
The week at Portrush
Royal Portrush, on the north Antrim coast, last hosted the Open in 1951. Its return was a huge event for the whole island, with record crowds and an atmosphere more like a Six Nations match than a golf tournament.
Lowry played superbly all week. On the Saturday, he shot a 63, a new course record, to go four shots clear, and the crowds roared him round. On Sunday, in wind and driving rain, he never let anyone close. He finished six shots ahead of England’s Tommy Fleetwood.
The walk up the 18th
The moment everyone remembers came at the end. As Lowry walked up the final fairway, the stewards let the crowd through and thousands of fans flooded onto the course behind him, singing and cheering. His father called the scene “mayhem”. His family was waiting at the back of the 18th green, and when the final putt dropped, the celebrations started on both sides of the border.
Coming home to Clara
A few days later, Lowry brought the Claret Jug home to Clara. Thousands packed into the small Offaly town, which was decked out in flags and bunting, with his picture in the window of every house, shop and pub. For a town of a few thousand people, it was the biggest party in living memory.
Shane Lowry FAQ
When did Shane Lowry win the Open?
In July 2019, at Royal Portrush in Co. Antrim.
Where is Shane Lowry from?
Clara, Co. Offaly.
By how many shots did Shane Lowry win the Open?
Six, ahead of Tommy Fleetwood.
When was the Open last played in Northern Ireland before 2019?
In 1951, also at Royal Portrush.
More Irish sporting moments
- Ireland v the All Blacks, Chicago 2016
- Katie Taylor v Amanda Serrano at Madison Square Garden
- The Irish fans who won over Europe
Featured photo: The Open sign at Portrush, by FoxInTheClouds, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
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