PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — The locals, loud and proud, have been anticipating some Irish magic in this 148th British Open held at Royal Portrush for the first time in 68 years.
They’ve been willing it to be one of their own hoisting the Claret Jug late Sunday evening at this gem of a golf course hard by the rugged Northern Irish coastline.
Rory McIlroy was their first and obvious choice — their expected pick — to do it.
McIlroy, who grew up 60 miles south of Portrush, just outside of Belfast, has a rich history on these links, setting (and still owning) the course record of 61, posted when he was as a teenager. He was one of the tournament favorites, in good form this year and the owner of four career major championships.
Graeme McDowell was the romantic choice as the native of Portrush, having grown up as a member of the working-man’s Rathmore Golf Club, right next door.
Darren Clarke was the long-shot choice, growing up about 30 minutes away from Portrush and still having a home here, now a 50-year-old trying to rekindle the form he had while winning the 2011 Open Championship.
Few were about Shane Lowry, who became the forgotten Irishman.
“Those guys are from here,’’ Lowry reasoned Saturday. “I grew up four hours away. I kind of felt like I could come here and come under the radar a little bit, that’s what was nice about this week. But obviously I’m not quite under the radar anymore. I didn’t feel like I was the forgotten Irishman, but hopefully I’m the one they’re talking about [Sunday] evening.’’
Lowry became the talk of the golf universe Saturday as he pulverized Portrush with a tournament-low 8-under 63 to seize a four-shot lead over Tommy Fleetwood entering Sunday’s final round.
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Lowry, who marks his golf balls with a green Shamrock stamp, has played so beautifully and is on such an unconscious run of stunning form it wouldn’t appear he needs any luck to push himself over the line Sunday as a first-time major winner and lift the Claret Jug to the adoring Irish fans.
Lowry, in a stunning late-afternoon burst like one of those squalls that are so prevalent in this region, took control of the tournament by blitzing the back nine in 30 stokes with a numbing run of birdies on Nos. 10, 12, 15, 16, 17.
“Honestly, that’s the most incredible day I’ve ever had on the golf course,’’ Lowry said. “I honestly can’t explain what it was like. I don’t really remember much of the round. It was one of those [days] where it all happened so quickly.’’
Now Lowry, who failed to convert a 54-hole lead in the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont, where Dustin Johnson overtook him for his first career major title, must figure out how to finish.
“I know [Sunday] is going to be a difficult day,’’ Lowry said. “I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont. I’m going to learn a lot about myself [Sunday].’’
McDowell has been bullish on Lowry all week, calling him, “probably one of the most competitive people I’ve ever met in my life.
Earlier in the week, McDowell talked about how fearless Lowry is.
“I’ve always thought Shane had kind of three big things going for him — he’s a great driver of the ball, one of the best chippers of the ball I’ve ever seen and he’s got a lot of guts and determination. He could easily continue this into the weekend and could easily contend here on Sunday afternoon. He has the game.’’
So he has. And so he does.
Lowry is trying to become just the fifth Irish winner of the Open after Fred Daly, Pádraig Harrington, Clarke and McIlroy.
Lowry said he didn’t plan on “sitting there [Sunday] morning in the house in a corner trying not to think about the day ahead.’’
“Obviously, I’ll [be] thinking about holding the Claret Jug [Sunday] evening,’’ he said. “It’s only natural, isn’t it? We’re human. We’re not robots. We can’t not think about things. When you try not to think about something you end up thinking about it more, so you might as well talk about it.’’
You can bet every Irish golf fan around Portrush, the nation and the world is thinking about it. And if Lowry can continue to make his magic for one more round, the roars from Portrush will be heard across the globe.
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