Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry relive Portrush disaster and triumph in new TV doc

Irish Daily Mirror

3 days ago

Rory Mcllroy revisited his Portrush nightmare for a new Sky Sports documentary a week before the major championship returns to the Dunluce Links.
McIlroy, who is in action in the Scottish Open this week, will return to Portrush as a Grand Slam winner. And the 35-year-old will be determined to put his disastrous opening round from 2019 at the famous county Antrim venue behind him, when he shot eight-over par 79.
What transpired was all the more shocking for the fact that he had shot a course record 61 there as a 16-year-old. McIlroy and Shane Lowry, who went on to win his first major, recalled that dramatic week in 'This Is Open Country' the new documentary produced by award-winning Irish filmmakers Ross Whitaker and Bob Caldwell that charts Ireland's incredible success at The Open Championship.
"I knew the pressure that was on Rory in a big way," said Lowry. "He said to me, 'Shane, this is only the biggest tournament that I'm ever going to play'. I could tell that he was probably putting too much pressure on himself."
McIlroy recalled feeling good going into the week that had him positioned as the returning hero, given his status as a four-time major winner for the Open's first Portrush staging since 1951.
"I was hitting the ball nicely and playing well," he said. "I've been dreaming of this moment for a long time, all of those different emotions and thoughts that were in my head for three or four years leading up to it. I just didn't expect on that first tee on Thursday how nervous I would be.
"I put that tee on the ground when my name was called on the first tee on Thursday and I had no idea how I was going to feel. I made a mess of the first hole."
The Holywood star fired his tee shot out of bounds and took eight as his challenge immediately went off the rails. Yet he came out on Friday and, with the massive home crowd willing him to make the cut, just fell short. "Portrush was a bittersweet week," he reflected.
Lowry, however, was to experience the greatest week of his career to date. In contrast to McIlroy, he shot an opening day 67. "I was leading the tournament all day, nobody shot better," he remembered. "When we get on links golf courses we get pretty comfortable, pretty quick.
"The whole year I used to just tell myself it's all going to be about Rory, Gmac (Graeme McDowell) and Clarkey (Darren Clarke). Deep down you know that thousands of people have bought tickets to watch you there that weekend, so straightaway all you want to do is make a good account of yourself, and make the cut and give yourself a bit of a chance going into the weekend."
Lowry followed up with a 67 on the Friday and then a superb 63 in his third round. "When I got going on Saturday I just put my foot down and kept going. I just felt like I was going to birdie every hole," he said.
The Clara man held a four-shot lead going into the final round - just as he did in the 2016 US Open at Oakmont, when his challenge faltered.
Not this time, however, and he won by six shots in the end as many thousands of home fans celebrated. "When I look back it's the most incredible scenes and I always count myself very lucky that I got to do something like that," Lowry said.
"Six years between Open tournaments on the same course is kind of rare, really. To get another Irish winner would be cool but I just hope it's me!"
McIlroy expresses his joy for his friend and Ireland team-mate in the documentary for his Claret Jug victory - and his delight that Portrush is hosting the event again this summer.
"It was just one of those weeks where it seemed everything went right for him," McIlroy said."There wasn't one player who I talked to who didn't say Portrush was one of their favourite Opens that they've played in.
"I honestly didn't think that it would come around again this quickly. Having this great run of Irish golf, it's sort of spanned a generation. The spotlight that puts on the country and on golf in general, I'd like to think that there will be more and more talent from these shores coming through in the next few years."
The documentary also features contributions from the duo's fellow major title winners Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke, who chart a golden period for Irish golf.
This Is Open Country will premiere on Thursday on Sky Sports Golf and streaming service NOW.