SHANE LOWRY would “give anything” to win The Open for a second time but it’s not just wishful thinking from the defending champion who arrived at Royal St George’s determined to give himself another chance to do “something huge” in the game.
While Pádraig Harrington caught sight of the giant grandstands and immediately felt like a contender, Lowry has taken his game to such a level that he can hear opportunity knocking wherever he tees it up.
“I’ve always been very driven and I’ve always been very hard on myself,” said Lowry, whose strong all-round game is built for the sternest of examinations. “As I say with Majors, you’re only ever one week away from greatness, and this week is another opportunity for somebody to achieve something huge in their lives and I hope it’s me.”
The defending champion is in similar form to 2019 in that he arrives at The Open with enough decent results to give him confidence but also with and enough doubt to keep his survival instincts sharp.
Before winning at Royal Portrush in 2019, he had three top-10s before finishing 34th with a closing 68 at the Irish Open in Lahinch, while this year he finished fourth in the PGA Championship and followed a disappointing US Open with a closing 66 for a tie for 23rd at Mount Juliet just nine days ago.
“There is always that little bit of anxiousness to get out there and get going on a Thursday morning, and it’ll be the same this week,” he confessed after finally handing back the Claret Jug. “I know I finished kind of middle of the pack at the Irish Open in Lahinch, but I really felt like my golf was quite good. When I look back, I was in a great place.”
Far from damaging his confidence, he feels his disappointing US Open has actually sharpened his wits.
“It just focuses you in on your shots if you kind of don’t feel 100 per cent about your game,” added Lowry, who honed his links game with practice rounds at Lahinch and Portmarnock last week.
“My form feels pretty good, my game is trending in the right direction. I’m excited to defend this week and I’ve got big things to do over the next few months as well.”
Sandwich is soft and green right now, so Lowry plans to play late today and tomorrow to best learn how it might play when it becomes more fiery as the week goes on.
“I think the forecast then is it’s going to dry up and the course will hopefully dry out a little bit and play a little bit what St George’s is supposed to play like,” added Lowry, who avoided poor early-morning weather by simply walking the front nine before then playing the last 12 holes in more favourable conditions later on.
While the players are living in a bubble, Lowry is thrilled there will be 32,000 fans each day and reckons their presence will inspire him.
“Like I said at the Irish Open a couple weeks ago, we’re kind of in the entertainment business when we’re out there, and when I have a difficult shot or when I’m stuck behind a tree or I have a tough up-and-down, I’m trying to almost show off a little bit,” he said.
“I’d just like to put up a good defence of my trophy, and I’d give anything to have a chance to win come the weekend. I’m out there planning for that over the next few days, and we’ll see how it goes.”
As for Harrington, he was buoyed by his tie for 18th in the Scottish Open.
“I would like to have been better on Sunday, but I feel like I can win,” Harrington said. “I really love coming to an Open. It’s such an advantage for me – these sort of conditions. A lot of instinct comes back. I need to play a few practice rounds to get the feelings back but I know I have an advantage for sure out on a links course.”
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Meanwhile, Tandragee’s James Hewitt made seven birdies and an eagle in a sensational course record 62 on the Valley Course to top the leaderboard after the first qualifying round for the North of Ireland Amateur Championship.
After a three-year wait for a return to Royal Portrush, Hewitt heads the 300-strong field by a shot from defending champion Arron Edwards-Hill from Chelmsford on nine-under par.
He went out in six-under 30 as he followed a birdie at the first with five in a row from the third, then added an eagle at the 11th and another birdie at the 16th.
Edwards-Hill made an eagle, eight birdies and a bogey in his 63 on the Valley as Roganstown’s Patrick Keeling, Castlerock’s Andrew Mulholland and Lisburn’s Ryan Symington shot 66s there to share third place.
Muskerry’s Jack Egan carded a bogey-free, four-under 68 to head the field at the Dunluce links with the top 64 after today’s second qualifying round making tomorrow’s matchplay draw.