Frustrated Lowry has a difficult day at the office

FOR Shane Lowry, the opening tee shot set the tone for another dispiriting day in the Donegal dunes.

His drive was well struck, too well, as it trundled into a bunker which he had no reason to be anywhere near.

From one trap, he found another and the inevitable bogey five visibly punctured his self-belief. After a 74, which left him marooned on level par, he was untypically curt.

‘I’m disappointed and annoyed and just want to get out of here,’ he said.

Graeme McDowell could feel Lowry’s pain as he signed for a 73, to drop to one over par. At the 18th, he had a wedge in his hand for his approach and ran up a five from nowhere.

‘I’m struggling on the greens, they’re making me feel uncomfortable. I can’t see the ball tracking into the hole,’ he admitted. ‘This course is a head scratcher. It should be getting ripped to shreds.’ In fairness, there was a 65 yesterday from Andy Sullivan and a 66 from overnight co-leader Erik Van Rooyen, so low scoring was possible.

After a busy itinerary – this is his seventh event in eight weeks - McDowell may miss the Scottish Open, which is his last chance of qualifying for The Open.

Paul Dunne picked off two early birdies but gave back three shots from the eighth, before a birdie on the 17th for a 72. On one over, he will play with McDowell today.

Simon Thornton managed a solitary birdie in a 74 which finished amid wee drama. After a shank on the 18th, there was a lengthy delay while groups where called through before Thornton was allocated a dropping area behind the grandstands. In the end, a bogey five wasn’t a bad score. On two over, the 41-year-old club pro at Tullfarris is tied for 41st with Lowry – all players in the top 36 are guaranteed a minimum of $50,000.

Improbably, the four Irish golfers will play together today in successive groups. Dunne and McDowell are off at 8.38am, with Lowry and Thornton at 8.47am.

They should get decent support and will look to feed off the positive vibes. – PHILIP QUINN