'I thought he was going to birdie every hole' - Lowry weighs in on 'incredible' Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler and Shane Lowry look across the golf course during Day One of The 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/R&A via Getty Images)

Shane Lowry admits he has an even greater appreciation now for his 2019 Open win after lapping up the electric atmosphere and signing off with a superb 66 at Royal Portrush.

The Offaly man dreams of the day when he might get the chance to play in The Open at Portmarnock.

But after a difficult week, where he was docked two strokes for inadvertently causing his ball to move on Friday, then hampered by a stomach virus as he struggled to a 74 yesterday, the world number 18 left Portrush feeling better about his game.

"It is probably one of the most enjoyable rounds of golf I've had in a while," Lowry said after a six-birdie effort that featured a spectacular hole-out from 183 yards for birdie at the fourth.

"It's still a week where I put a lot into it and didn't get much out of it. But onwards and upwards, I suppose."

The R&A is considering bringing The Open to Portmarnock, and Lowry would love the opportunity to see the world's oldest major in Dublin.

"It would be amazing, 30 minutes from my house," he said. "And I think it is one of the best golf courses in the world. I think it is good enough to host an Open, and hopefully it will."

Returning to Royal Portrush was special, and Lowry confessed it reminded him of just how big an achievement he had pulled off in 2019.

"It probably made me want it too much this week," he said. "I really wanted to give myself a chance this week. And I'd love to be on the first tee now, but I'm finished, and I'll go home and I'll cheer Rory on hopefully this afternoon."

Lowry made an early bogey at the par-five second before putting on a show.
It started when he hit a seven-iron stiff at the 180-yard third, then used the same club to hole out for birdie from 183 yards at the fourth after being forced to splash out of a fairway bunker.

He then went on a hot run with the putter, holing out from 25 feet over the green at the seventh, 25 feet from the fringe at the eighth and 22 feet at the ninth before rolling in a 30-footer at the par-five 12th.

He saved the best for last, hitting the flag as he almost chipped in from the valley of sin left of the 18th in front of a packed amphitheatre as he recalled his moment of Open glory six years ago.

"I would have liked to do better this week, but it is what it is," he said. "Obviously, the playoffs are huge. But the focus now of my work will be getting out of bed every morning to prepare for Bethpage and winning the Ryder Cup."

He played with leader Scottie Scheffler in the first two rounds and admitted that the world number one is not only different from him, but also a special talent worthy of comparison to Tiger Woods.

"Scottie talked about enjoying his wins for two minutes, I think I enjoyed mine a little bit longer than that," Lowry beamed.

"But everyone's different."

"I played with him over the first two days, and honestly, I thought he was going to birdie every hole. It was incredible to watch.

"I wouldn't say he's unbeatable, because he's been beaten a few times, but when he's like that, when he starts getting that putter rolling, he's a hard person to beat.

"Even today, you look at the scoreboard and you sort of think if Rory gets off to a really hot start and can get the crowd behind him, it might make it difficult for Scottie.

"But people make it difficult for him all the time, and he comes out the other side of it. So who knows?"

McIlroy suggested Scheffler was "inevitable" on Saturday night and Lowry wondered if that was the right choice of words.

"He probably regrets saying that word," Lowry joked. "Honestly, I think if Scottie's feet stayed stable and his swing looked like Adam Scott's, we'd be talking about him in the same words as Tiger Woods.

"I just think, because it doesn't look so perfect, and we don't talk about him like that, I think he's, he's just incredible to watch, and his bad shots are really good, and that's when you know he's really good."