Lowry aims to make most of Irish Open home draw

Former champion Shane Lowry believes playing this year’s Irish Open on home ground at Carton House can help him regain the European Tour title he first won as an amateur four years ago.

Lowry, 25, announced himself on golf’s world stage at Baltray in 2009 when he upstaged the professionals with a thrilling play-off victory over Robert Rock. The Offaly golfer turned professional soon after and backed up his maiden victory last October when he landed his first pro win at the Portugal Masters, a success that propelled him to a career-high number 52 in the world rankings at Christmas.

Now ranked 64th, and having lived on the Carton House estate for the last 18 months, he hopes he will be enjoying more than just a short walk to work when the European Tour event returns to the Kildare resort in the last week of June for the first time since a two-year stint for the tournament on the Montgomerie Course ended in 2006.