HE’S GOT GAME!

Lowry can take it to final round, says McDowell

AS Rory McIlroy endured another major meltdown yesterday, local hero Graeme McDowell believes Shane Lowry can sustain his Open challenge at Portrush.

McIlroy (79) and Tiger Woods (78) were left marooned among the tail-enders yesterday but Lowry was riding high after a 67 — his fastest start to an Open.

On four under, Lowry lies in second place, a shot back from American JB Holmes, and McDowell is backing the Clara native to stay in the frame for the sport’s biggest prize.

‘I have a huge amount of respect for Shane’s game. He could easily continue this into the weekend and contend here on Sunday afternoon. He has the game,’ said McDowell.

McIlroy acknowledged ‘lapses of concentration’ in a scarred round that included play more associated with a society hacker than a superstar.

In front of a monster gallery, McIlroy’s opening three-iron was tugged out of bounds; he later missed a putt from inside a foot on the 16th and had a whiff on the 18th as he tried to hack out of

the rough. In two holes, the first and the last, he coughed up seven strokes to tumble 13 strokes off the pace — no one has won The Open from so far back. Improbably, McIlroy was one shot per hole worse than the free-wheeling 16-year-old who scooted around Portrush in 61 blows. Of his round, McIlroy felt most disappointed about the short putt on 16. ‘That was inexcusable. I sort of it hit it on the run and missed it,’ he said. ‘Tee shots like the first happen. I hit the ball out of bounds on the right in practice, that might have been on my mind a bit.’ McIlroy is targeting ‘something in the mid-60s to be around for the weekend’ and joked ‘there is a way back to Florida’ early unless he bucks up. He’ll likely be joined by Tiger Woods who finished the day seven over. While the likes of Holmes (66), Jon Rahm (68), Brooks Koepka (68) and Justin Rose (69) battened down the hatches, Woods leaked shots over the links. Only six players in the 156field carded worse scores than Woods, one of them McIlroy. It’s not the script anyone expected. Pádraig Harrington, two under after five, fell away to a 75. ‘I know I’m on the right track just today was not a good day,’ he said. LOWRY CHASES MAJOR CHANCE - SEE PAGE 51