Flying Lowry takes pole position in Irish Open
Offaly man set course record in Doonbeg
SHANE Lowry produced some of his best golf of the season to grab the second round lead at the Irish Open in Doonbeg. The Offaly man shot a great course record of -8 62 on Friday to take a three shot lead going into Saturday's third round.
After a very steady -3 67 in the opening round, Lowry is on -11 for the tournament, three shots ahead of a chasing pack of Haotong Li, Jacob Skov Olesen and Niklas Nørgaard.
He is aiming for a second Irish Open win. His first in 2009 stunned the golfing world as he competed as an amateur. He quickly turned professional, embarking on a phenomenally successful career.
The Clara man has struggled for consistency this year but delighted the home fans as he shot nine birdies with just one bogey.
Out early on Thursday, he got the best of the conditions and started like a train as he got three birdies in a row from the third to the fifth. He followed up with three more at seven, eight and nine to make the turn in 30.
His only bogey came on thirteen and he almost added a tenth birdie on the 18th. Lowry was in an understandably happy mood after it.
“It was nice. It was real fun out there. I got off to a nice start and then I just kept going. I felt great out there. Just kept my foot on the gas and tried to keep hitting good shots and keep holing putts.
“I liked the little birdie I made on 15 after the mistake I made on 13. Also, I think my par putt on 10 was probably my highlight of the day. After getting pretty unlucky with my second shot, I think I did a great job making par there.”
Lowry spoke about the support.
“The crowds were amazing out there today. They support me along the way and it was nice to give them something to shout about."
He tees off at 2.30pm on Saturday and his fate here will dictate a lot for him.