Lowry can be Carton’s ace in the pack

Home hero Shane Lowry holds the key to the O’Meara Course at Carton House beating off serious competition to host next year’s Irish Open.

The two-time European Tour winner, who has a home overlooking the spectacularly beautiful sister track to the tough Montgomerie Course, will tee it up with a European Tour official later this summer.

That could be enough to persuade the Tour to take the event to the more compact and tree-lined O’Meara layout and scupper offers from rival resorts around the country.