Shane Lowry: 'We’re going to have one hell of a few days' after Open win

“I’d say there were people watching golf today that never watched before,” Open winner Shane Lowry said in an interview on Sunday.

He told RTE radio’s Morning Ireland that the final round in Portrush had been very tough. “With the wind and the rain the course showed its teeth.”

His plan had been to stay ahead all day especially when it became a ‘two horse race’ with Tommy Fleetwood.

“I kept telling myself ‘you’re in the driving seat’ and I pulled away.

“I was calm, I was nervous, scared.”

He added that the walk down the 18th was “one of the most surreal experiences of my life. I can’t believe it happened to me.

“Obviously a lot of people helped me along the way, my coach, family, friends and Bo, my caddy. I owe him an awful lot.

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“He was a big influence on me. I was very happy that I could share that walk with him. This is his home area.

“He had his newborn son with him which made it even more special and I had all my family with me.

“We’re going to have one hell of a few days.”