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The final round of this wildly successful 148th Open is under way under overcast skies at Royal Portrush, sold out months ago with the 2nd highest attendance figures in history, in this little town away up on the Atlantic, at the tip of Northern Ireland.
Having "gotten on with it" after the heartbreak of Rory's early exit and with GMac out of contention it has been another Irishman, this one from the south, or the Republic as its known, Shane Lowry who had the Saturday of his life posting a record setting -9 63 -16 total to take a 4 shot lead over Tommy Fleetwood who will be his playing partner today.
Lowry has won the Irish Open as an amateur along with the West of Ireland and Northern Ireland championships..so he has those bases covered.
It is his to lose. The scene is set, but the title is far from it.
He will get the worst of the weather which has moved in forcing tee times up by 2 hours. He told his caddie to enjoy their walk up 18 yesterday because " they may never have another day like this in their lives"
He is unlikely to post anything like 63 today and a birdie by Tommy and a bogey by Shane and the lead is just 2.. JB Holmes is at -10...Rose and Keopka are at -9 and Fowler at -8 and you'd think one of them will post a challenge to post in the clubhouse.
Can Shane do enough to hold on and send Irish eyes home "a smilin' "
I sure hope so. As he said yesterday " The crowds are right on top of me screaming in my face. "
There has been a horrible lifetime of troubles between the catholics in the south and the protestants in this north.
A win by Lowry today, can't help but put salve on those old wounds.
Bryan Angus
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