Lowry’s on a home run
SHANE LOWRY had Irish eyes smiling with a second-round 67 to share the Open lead at Royal Portrush.
Lowry, 32, sent the galleries wild with a blistering start that saw him birdie his first three holes on the Dunluce links.
He added two more in an outward 31 and birdied the 10th to become the first player to reach double figures under par.
But Lowry stumbled heading for home, dropping two shots, including a bogey at the last, to finish on eight-under par and locked in a tie at the top with JB Holmes, who shot a 68. The closest the Irishman has come to winning a Major before was in 2016 at Oakmont when he led the US Open by four shots heading into the final round, only to be overtaken by Dustin Johnson. The world No.33 said: “If they had offered it to me at the start of the week, I would have taken it. I’m really happy to be where I am. I really, really enjoyed it. There’s not too many days like that on the golf course. It’s hard to describe.
“Oakmont was so long ago and I was a lot younger. I feel like if I get the opportunity this week, I’ll be better.
“I’m trying to say it definitely won’t affect me, what happened in Oakmont. I’ve got over that.”