Shane Lowry closed with a 63 to win the Irish Open by a record 11 shots at Doonbeg, finishing 23-under for his second national title.
Shane Lowry turned the Irish Open into a personal celebration Sunday at Doonbeg.
Playing in front of a partisan home crowd, Lowry fired a final-round 7-under 63 to finish at 23-under 257, winning by an astonishing 11 shots over Patrick Reed and Joaquin Niemann. The performance gave Lowry his second Irish Open title, 17 years after he first won the event as an amateur.
“This is incredible,” Lowry said afterward. “I’m so happy.”
There was never much doubt once the final round got moving.
Lowry began Sunday with a four-shot advantage and quickly expanded it, making four birdies over his first eight holes. One of the highlights came at the par-4 seventh, where he rolled in a 45-foot birdie putt from across a ridge.
By the back nine, the tournament had become a victory lap.
Lowry capped it with a 30-foot birdie at the 18th, beginning his celebration before the ball even reached the cup.
His 257 total shattered the previous Irish Open 72-hole scoring record of 264, set by Jon Rahm at Lahinch in 2019. The 11-shot margin also established a new tournament record, surpassing Bernhard Langer’s 10-shot victory at Portmarnock in 1987.
Reed closed with a 64 and Niemann shot 67 to share second at 12-under. Reed’s finish also strengthened his position atop the Race to Dubai.
Rory McIlroy finished well back in a tie for 41st after a final-round 67, but he was quick to appreciate what the victory meant for Lowry and Irish golf.
For Lowry, the win carried extra weight after a frustrating season. He had come close at the Cognizant Classic earlier in the year but had struggled to generate consistent top finishes since.
This time, there was no late collapse and no drama.
“I just don’t do things half-measures,” Lowry joked afterward.
The victory adds another major Irish moment to a résumé that already includes the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush and the clinching putt in Europe’s Ryder Cup victory last year.
Lowry summed up the scene best while walking up the final hole.
“Portrush was incredible, last year was incredible, and I feel like I can’t better it,” he said. “But look at this.”
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