Determined Lowry focuses on the positives

Irish round-up Shane Lowry missed his target score for the day but was not unduly concerned with a one-over-par 72 Royal County Down as he began his bid to win a second Irish Open title.

Lowry, coming off his best finish of the season, a tie for sixth at Wentworth last Sunday in the BMW PGA Championship, looked to be threatening the lead on day one of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open yesterday as he reached one under par with a birdie at the par-three 14th.

Playing with Ernie Els and Francesco Molinari in the afternoon wave of starters and enjoying the better of the conditions, the 2009 champion a 100 kilometres down the east coast at Baltry had opened his account with a birdie at the par-five first but reached halfway on level par following a bogey five at the eighth.