– By Andrew Pierse
Showing faith in the man from The Faithful County ahead of his final round at the US Open.
It’s just over seven years now since a baby-faced Shane Lowry stole the hearts of a nation, by winning his national open as an amateur.
As he sank that 3-foot winning putt in that now famous playoff against Robert Rock, in Baltray, he immediately shot into the spotlight of the golfing world.
It wasn’t just the fact that he had become just the third amateur ever to win on the European Tour. It wasn’t the beauty of his play throughout the weekend. It was the sheer heart and passion displayed that captivated a nation of fans.
His determination to do what no other Irish amateur had ever done outshone any nerves he most definitely had at the time. As he sank that three-foot putt, he must have known himself that his life was about to change forever.
Seven years on from that famous victory, Lowry has proved any doubters wrong. The ones who might have suggested that his maiden victory on the European Tour was a fluke or a one-off.
Although he was slow to start off – missing his first three professional cuts and struggling overall in his first year as a pro – he has since caught fire. There were wins at the Portugal Masters in 2012, the BMW PGA Championship in May 2014 and a first PGA tour win, in the form of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, last August.
When you couple these wins with top-10 finishes at the Open in 2014 and US Open last June, as well as dozens of top 10 finishes on tour, there is no doubt that Lowry has the right stuff. He’s been there before. He knows how to win.
Carrying a nation's hopes on his shoulders #Lowry #IRL https://t.co/r6hs3DffFx
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) June 19, 2016
Later this evening, Lowry is will carry a four-shot lead into his final round of the US Open, as he seeks to become Ireland’s sixth ever major winner.
Without question as he tees off in that final pairing alongside world number 684 Andrew Landry, there will be nerves. But, we feel, Lowry will come out on top tonight to see that victory through.
There will be a host of world-class talent chasing Lowry down, but he has more experience than any of them when it comes to winning in such environments. His two nearest competitors on -3 are not the people to seriously challenge his lead.
Dustin Johnson has thrown away opportunities to win major championships before. He had a one shot lead on the final hole of the PGA championship in 2010, which he bottled.
He was within touching distance of Darren Clarke in the final holes of the Open in 2011 before he hit an iron out of bounds on the 14th. Just last year, he had a putt to win the US Open and ended up three putting.
Johnson might have the most raw-talent of any golfer in the world right now, but he doesn’t have the winning mentality required.
Andrew Landry, as well as he has played this weekend hasn’t been in a position like this before. His nerves have held up thus far, but when an inexperienced golfer is thrown in to the bright lights of a Sunday at a major championship, it’s a new ball game. Just ask Paul Dunne. Hell, just ask Tom Watson.
Lowry might not have won a major before but he has done something equally as difficult to do. In front of his home crowd, having never played in a European Tour event before, with the weight of an entire country’s expectations on his shoulders, he coolly won his national open and wrote his name into golfing folklore.
Perhaps the most enchanting thing about watching Lowry play is the ease with which he seems to go about his business. He constantly seems relaxed, interacting with the crowd with a smile on his face. When things don’t go his way he moves on quickly to the next shot without getting down on himself.
It’s his relaxed, giddy personality which make people fall in love with watching him play. That and his incredible talent obviously.
On a golf course where bogeys will be made, it’s this relaxed, composed personality which will see him through, while others fall around him.
Lowry will get it done tonight and there will be a lot of pints drunk in Offaly in celebration of their local hero.
One is a guarantee. The other is already happening.
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