LOWRY HAPPIER AFTER HE IRONED OUT A FEW PROBLEMS WITH COACH

managed to hole a few putts, so very happy with my day,” said the Clara man.

Lowry admitted that nerves played a part in a cagey opening round as his Open title defence finally got underway.

But his challenge finally ignited from the sixth hole, when he picked up three birdies in four holes to the turn – and was unlucky not to make it four in a row when a long-range putt somehow failed to drop on seven.

Having reached the turn in 32, Lowry had to be patient on the back nine but was rewarded with birdies on 15 and 17 for a fiveunder par round.

“To be honest, I sat down this morning with my coach Neil (Manchip, inset) and we talked through yesterday’s round,” the 34-year-old said afterwards.

“I felt I was a bit hard on myself yesterday. I didn’t play as bad as I felt I did.

“I was able to hit a lot of 3-irons off the tee. I just said I feel like if I’m on the fairway and I have an iron shot, no matter what club it is, obviously

6-iron down, I feel like I can give myself chances.

“We just focused on putting ourselves in good positions off the tee and it paid off.

“I think as it firms up over the weekend it’ll suit me a little bit better as well.”

If that is the case, Lowry intends to keep the driver in the bag as much as possible.

“Look, I hit a couple of decent drives out there today, but I think I only hit four drivers,” he said.

“That’s probably going to be my strategy at the weekend.

“We’ll see how windy it gets or how many drivers I need to hit. It’s not like I can’t hit it. I’m still hitting it OK.

“But yeah, just put it in play off the tee and I feel like I can shoot a score around here.”

It helped, Lowry acknowledged, to be in a group with halfway leader Louis Oosthuizen and John Rahm, who shot 64 to move to six under.

“Whenever one in the group is playing well it helps,” said Lowry.

“We kind of bounced off each other today.”