Shane Lowry spotted at site of first tour victory as he prepares for Open
In a little over two weeks' time, Lowry will return to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, where he lifted the Claret Jug in jubilant scenes in 2019.
The Offaly man has already been on a scouting trip to the Dunluce Links ahead of the 2025 Open, but he has also found the time to get in a practice round at County Louth Golf Club.
County Louth Golf Club, known as Baltray to the locals, played host to the 2009 Irish Open when Lowry sensationally triumphed as an amateur after a thrilling play-off with Englishman Robert Rock.
Understandably the Louth venue has always held a special place in Lowry's heart ever since, and the Clara man returned there on Tuesday morning for a round.
Happy to take pictures with the locals, including the course's team of greenkeepers, Lowry got in some links practice on one of the finest tests in the country.
It has always been common for golf's finest players to take in a trip to Ireland before teeing it up in the Open Championship. During his pomp, Tiger Woods often travelled to Ireland alongside his good friend Mark O'Meara to play our top links courses ahead of the major championship.
And many more of the world's top players are expected to turn up at courses around the country in the coming week as they get in some links practice ahead of the mania of Open week.
Lowry is set to practice in Ireland for the next two weeks, deciding against competing in the Scottish Open next week, where Rory McIlroy is teeing it up.
The Offaly man has enjoyed a consistent season on the PGA Tour but is looking to bounce back from two below par events, first a missed cut at the US Open and then a tied 45th finish at the Travelers Championship last time out.
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Irish Times
6 hours ago
- Irish Times
Best golf courses in Co Dublin (North): Bucket-list courses and hidden gems from Portmarnock to Corballis
Bucket Lists In many ways, Portmarnock Golf Club is the spiritual home of golf in Ireland. It is where the first Irish Open was held in 1927, where legendary Americans Arnold Palmer and Sam Snead won the Canada Cup (which morphed into the World Cup) and where Pádraig Harrington and Phil Mickelson were on opposing sides in the 1991 Walker Cup. Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer and Jose Maria Olazabal were crowned Irish Open champions here. Portmarnock is truly one of the finest links courses in the world and is probably one of the fairest too. It is part of an emerald necklace of seaside courses in north Dublin that form a bucket list of courses, starting with The Royal Dublin on Bull Island and also featuring the adjoining Jameson Links and on up to The Island in Donabate. Portmarnock Golf Club in Co Dublin is a world-class facility. Photograph:Ben Crenshaw described the par-three 15th hole as 'one of the greatest short holes on Earth' and he wasn't wrong. That hole overlooking the Velvet Strand on Portmarnock strand plays parallel to the seas with out-of-bounds down the right and with a tee-shot to an upturned elevated green. To many, however, it is the preceding par-four 14th hole which would feature in many a links aficionado's view as being among the most challenging anywhere. This one plays directly towards the strand and invariably into the wind coming off the Irish Sea. From start to finish, the championship course at Portmarnock – which will likely see some modifications in the coming years as the R&A contemplate the possibility of hosting The Open – is steeped in history and deserving of its status as one of the finest links on the planet. While Portmarnock's championship course features two loops of nine returning to the clubhouse, The Royal Dublin is an out-and-back layout. The front nine there runs parallel to Dollymount Strand and the homeward run is along the bird reserve, with Bull Island a designated Unesco biosphere reserve (the club even produces its own honey). Invariably kept in tip-top condition, Royal Dublin – which hosted a number of Irish Opens – is a test which includes contrasting par-fours. The 10th, over 440 yards, features a burn in front of the green. The 16th is a driveable (for some) hole to an elevated green heavily protected by strategic bunkering. Royal Dublin is always pristine and provides a stern test of golfing skills. Probably the most famous hole at Royal Dublin, given its links with the legendary Christy O'Connor snr, is the 18th. Known as 'The Garden', it features a severe dogleg with bunkering down the left and out-of-bounds down the right, where the approach to the green is diagonally across the OB area. Jameson Links – located at the Portmarnock Hotel – is a Bernhard Langer design which, in recent years, was upgraded by Jeff Lynch to make it an integral part of the North County Dublin bucket list destination for golfers. One of the more striking changes to the original design was in creating a new par-four eighth hole. The old severe dogleg is gone and has been replaced by a wonderfully straightforward hole that would appear to have always been there. It utilises the sandhills to the maximum, while the par-fives on the homeward run, at the 12th and 14th, have been designed to utilise the views of Howth Head, Lambay Island and Ireland's Eye. Across the estuary from Malahide village, The Island Golf Club in Donabate has also benefited from modernising work in recent years. In this case it was by Mackenzie & Ebert with Martin Ebert – so often the go-to architect for the R&A. The redesign of the front nine has enhanced the links, with the par-three fourth hole played from an elevated tee. The par-four fifth is set among the sand hills complementing the back nine, which has stood the test of time. The 18th, with the tee shot played through a valley of sand hills, remains one of the strongest finishing holes around. Portmarnock Golf Club, Golf Links Road, Portmarnock, Co Dublin; 01-8462968; email: info@ Royal Dublin Golf Club, The Royal Dublin Golf Club, North Bull Island, Dollymount, Dublin 3; 01-8336346; email: info@ Jameson Golf Links, Portmarnock Hotel & Golf Links, Strand Road, Portmarnock, Co Dublin; 01-8666592; email: The Island Golf Club, Corballis, Donabate, Co Dublin; 01-8436205; email: info@ Hidden Gem Corballis in Donabate is something of a rarity, in that it is a public links course – kudos to Fingal County Council – but it goes above and beyond in terms of what it offers. 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Luttrellstown Castle G&CC, Porterstown Road, Castleknock, Dublin 15; 01-8609600; email: luttrellstownmensgc@ Castleknock is a parkland course that offers so much for its modest yardage, with creative mounding and bunkering. There are five par-fives and five par-threes and two of those short holes provide superb finishes to the respective nines. Indeed, the ninth and 18th holes share one huge double green which is quite innovative and well positioned in front of the clubhouse. Castleknock Golf Club, Porterstown Road, Dublin 15; 01-6408736; honsec@
Irish Examiner
13 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Solheim Cup captain Anna Nordqvist says Leona Maguire is a player you can 'trust'
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Irish Examiner
17 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
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The Irish Open is followed by the year's fourth Major, the Evian Championship in France, before a week break to the Scottish Open and then the final Major of the year, the AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl in Wales. 'That's the nice thing with the dates being a little bit earlier this year, the kids are on summer holidays,' said Leona Maguire. 'Hopefully there should be even more this year. The crowds are reminiscent of Major crowds having four or five people deep. There's only a handful of LPGA events where you can get that big of a crowd. It's nice and I know the girls on the LET appreciate it. 'There's some events they go to and there's a handful of people and their dog walking around. It's nice to have that feel. It feels important, it feels big. 'Also, the Irish fans are very knowledgeable. They'll clap for a good shot. Yes, they're a little bit biased probably towards the Irish players, but at the same time, they'll appreciate good golf and they want to come see good golf.' Anna Nordqvist had been trying to play the Irish Open since its return in 2022. 'Good friend' Maguire had been in her ear about the atmosphere. The Solheim Cup teammates will tee off for the opening round at 9am on Thursday alongside Lahinch amateur Áine Donegan. Word of mouth from Hall means her best friend, the world number 19 Charley Hull, will also make her Irish Open debut this year. The two English golfers get their tournaments underway at 2pm on Thursday with Cork LET player Sara Byrne also in the group. Hall believes moving the event earlier in the calendar is one of the reasons for the strong field but not the only one. 'In my opinion, this is one of the biggest events that we have on the LET,' said Hall. 'I think it would bring stronger players because of that.' The Irish Open also makes the transition to European courses easier. 'It's great to play the week before the Evian on the same grass,' explained Hull. 'I've come from America, playing those grasses, it does your head in. When I was in Texas, that grass at the KPMG (PGA Championship), the major, was like pretty crazy, but you do kind of get used to it. 'Then you come over here, you're kind of on the same grass the whole time. It's nice to have five events with the same grass, which you don't really get that in America.' Dimmock, unable to defend her title this year as she is pregnant, won last year's title in a playoff after shooting 19-under. Swedish pro Madelene Sagstrom, also making her Irish Open debut this year, feels the O'Meara Course is one which will reward aggression. 'I saw the back nine today, I'm going to see the front nine and back nine again tomorrow,' she said. 'It's a course where you have to be aggressive because in reality you're not going to make that many birdies from like 20 feet and out. You have to be aggressive, dare to hit close to the pins, go for par-fives. 'It all depends on the setup and on the weather, but there's some of the par-fours where I have an advantage; I hit it far, so I can get over some of the bunkers and just kind of give it a rip and then just trying to take advantage. 'Knowing it was a low-scoring course last year, you just have to go out and attack it, which is kind of a nice feeling because you know low scores are going to win.' KPMG Women's Irish Open – selected round 1 tee times: 1st tee: 9:24am: G Ding (HKG), A Angurasaranee (THA), O Costello (IRL) (a) 10am: A Uehara (JPN), D Zalewska (POL), R Gardner (NIR) (a) 1:36pm: A Wilson (NIR), O Cowan (GER), L Woad (ENG) (a) 1:48pm: B Law (ENG), O Mehaffey (NIR), K Davidson Spilkova (CZE) 2pm: S Byrne (IRL), C Hull (ENG), G Hall (ENG) 10th tee: 8:12am: P Babnik (SLO), L Pettersson (SWE), B Coulter (IRL) (a) 8:36am: L Walsh (IRL), M Sagstrom (SWE), C Tamburlini (SUI) 8:48am: A Foster (IRL), M Rhodes (ENG), C Gainer (ENG) 9am: L Maguire (IRL), A Nordqvist (SWE), A Donegan (IRL) (a) 9:12am: A Fuller (ENG), K Bennett (AUS), A Dawson (IRL) (a) 10am: T Melecka (CZE), A Nobilio (ITA), E Fleming (IRL) (a) 1:48pm: L Young (ENG), C Screene (IRL), P Mack (GER) 2:12pm: C Herbin (FRA), S Bringner (SWE), M Joyce Moreno (NIR) (a) 2:24pm: H Kreuzer (GER), E Givens (ENG), R Scanlon (IRL) (a) 3pm: S Nuutinen (FIN), G Bjorgvinsdottir (ISL), A Abom (IRL) (a)
