British Open 2019: Shane Lowry in position to play unlikely Irish hero
Shane Lowry wasn’t the hero we expected coming into the 2019 British Open, but he might be just that for the Irish faithful on Sunday afternoon at Royal Portrush.
One week ago, if I had asked you to name the top Irish golfer in the British Open field, you would have (correctly) told me it was Rory McIlroy. If I had asked you for your next pick – depending on your flair for the dramatic – you might have picked Portrush native Graeme McDowell. Would Shane Lowry even have been on your map?
He might not have been then, but he sure is now, and he’s inspiring thousands and thousands of Irish fans who have been waiting for this Open – and a little more unity – for decades.
I won’t pretend to be an expert on the split between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, or the Troubles. But I like to think that I know golf and its fans, and what we all have witnessed over the past three days has been nothing short of spectacular.
Let’s cut right to the way that Lowry has completely separated himself from the pack. He set a new course record (McIlroy’s round of 61 was mothballed by the course renovation) when he shot eight-under 63 on Saturday, assisted by basically flawless weather conditions. His five birdies coming in allowed him some space to breathe, when earlier in the week there had been none.
With each putt that dropped – 10, 12, 15, 16, 17 – the massive galleries cheered progressively louder, standing behind Lowry not as being from the Republic or from Northern Ireland. No, they cheer him because, like so many of them, he’s Irish.
I got caught up in Rory’s hunt to make the British Open cut on Friday. I was pulling for him, agonizing over every putt left just a hair low, right alongside the masses at Royal Portrush. On Saturday, it was impossible not to get caught up in Lowry-mania, as it spread around the Northern Irish coast.
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Heck, it was tempting to at least hum along with the soccer (football?) minded fans singing “Shane Lowry” to the tune of “Hey Baby” – ooh, aah – and that wildly overused but still somehow catchy “Seven Nation Army” chant. But hey, nobody could blame you for getting caught up in such an incredible moment.
When he heads to the course on Sunday morning, the only thing standing between Lowry and golf immortality is a loop around 18 more holes. 18 holes which he has chewed up and spit out with just three bogeys all week. There will be rain. There will be challenges. But will there be a meeting with destiny?
For his part, Lowry has taken every bit of this in stride, at least as much as anybody in his position could be expected to. Sure, he’s made the network censors put in some extra time this week, but one of Lowry’s immediately positive traits is his openness. And while some would do their best to drown out the din surrounding them, the 32-year-old let them all in.
“We might never have a day like this on the golf course again,” Lowry told his caddie between the 17th green and 18th tee. “So let’s enjoy this next half hour.”
The celebration lasted quite a while longer than half an hour, as onlookers waved the Irish tricolor flag and continued to chant and sing in the pubs surrounding the course.
Next. Even a four-shot lead may not be secure at the British Open. dark
If he can finish the job on Sunday at the British Open, and raise the Claret Jug in Northern Ireland for the first time in 68 years, you better believe those celebrations on Saturday will look like a toddler’s birthday party. And Shane Lowry will certainly take it all in then, too.