SHANE LOWRY PRODUCED another golfing masterclass for a final round 63 as the home favourite cruised to a record 11-shot win on 23 under at the Amgen Irish Open.

The 39-year-old, who shot a course-record 62 on Friday, teed off on Sunday with a four-shot lead in front of Taoiseach Micheal Martin and went on to make eight more birdies to dominate the field.

As his closest challengers, Dane Jacob Skov Olesen and Chilean Joaquin Niemann, failed to make in-roads on the final day at the Trump International Golf Links and Hotel in Doonbeg, Lowry maintained his red-hot putting form.

He sank huge 45-feet efforts at the seventh and 15th holes and sealed his second Irish Open triumph in style, 17 years after first winning it as an amateur in 2009, with another superb birdie putt at the last hole.

Lowry holds a birdie putt on the final hole and won the tournament by a record margin. Dan Clohessy / INPHO Dan Clohessy / INPHO / INPHO

Lowry told Sky Sports: “To come here this week and do this, like come on! I don’t know. I just don’t do things by half measures.

“I can’t believe I’m standing here, (looking at) that leaderboard. My God! I didn’t know how I was doing. I said to my caddie after holing 15, ‘How far ahead are we?’ He said, ‘Far enough’. So I was happy with that.

“A lot of things went right for me. But this has been the most spectacular week. It’s just mad. I can’t believe it. My mum’s just standing there, it’s been unreal.”
America’s 2018 Masters champion Patrick Reed emerged from the trailing pack to finish tied for second alongside Niemann on 12 under after making six birdies for a faultless final-round 64.

Niemann birdied two of the final five holes for a 67 and Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen carded a superb bogey-free 63, which included an eagle at the fifth, to finish third on 11 under.

Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibben ended an impressive week as he made a final-round 67 to finish on 10 under, tied for fifth alongside Gregorio De Leo after the Italian made a bogey-free 63.

England’s Alex Fitzpatrick made seven birdies and two bogeys for a 65 for a share of seventh place with Olesen, while Lowry’s close friend Rory McIlroy closed with a 67 to finish tied in 41st place on one under.

Lowry, whose last individual win was at the BMW PGA Championship in 2022, had extended his lead to four shots in front of watching United States President Donald Trump on Saturday.

The Irishman also won the 2019 Open on home soil, at Royal Portrush Golf Club in County Antrim.

Lowry added: “My wife and my kids are back in Florida. When things are not going well at this level, it’s hard at home as well, but my wife has been a huge support and my kids, I love them so much.

“I’m so happy for them. I can’t wait to bring a trophy home. My daughter is always asking, when are you going to bring a trophy home. So I’m going to bring a trophy home.” 

Written by The 42 and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won’t find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women’s sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here.