‘Stressful but enjoyable’ for home hero Lowry

A second Irish Open and the first as a professional was not to be for Shane Lowry but he is convinced that only good can come from the experiences he encountered from four up-and-down days over his home course in Co Kildare.

Having essentially lost his chance of emulating his success at Baltray in 2009 with a two-over par 74 on Saturday, Lowry battled back yesterday with a round of 69 for eight under par that clinched him a share of 5th, a cheque for €61,760 and a boost in the world rankings.

Ironically, it could have been even better for the big Offaly man, who saw his five iron tee shot to the 12th finish an inch behind the cup when he felt sure it was going to drop for an ace, the kind of boost that spurred him on to his most recent Tour victory in the Portuguese Masters last October. He also dropped shots subsequently at the 14th, because of a wayward drive, and again at the short 17th, where he overshot the green from the tee, before knocking in a 12 footer for birdie on the final green — much to the delight of the home fans.