Golf

Scotland’s loss has been Ireland’s gain. Shane Lowry would be the first to admit, after all, that he would never have become a major winner without the influence of Neil Manchip and that is just the latest in a string of notable achievements during the Edinburgh man’s tenure as the Golfing Union of Ireland’s national coach.

This one’s for you, Shane Lowry said holding aloft the Claret Jug. You knew what he meant. This was a moment not just for the champion golfer of the year, not just for the heaving amphitheatre framing him, but the whole of Ireland.

Ireland's Shane Lowry exorcised the ghosts of Oakmont to claim his first major title in commanding fashion in the 148th Open at Royal Portrush.

It was possibly the quote of the week. “We are all psychos,” declared Russell Knox, pictured, after finishing his third round at Royal Portrush. To be fair, a full week at an Open Championship leaves all of us sharing that sentiment, but Knox was referring to golfers at the top level.

American Xander Schauffele hit out at the R&A after being branded a “cheater” as driver-testing in advance of the 148th Open Championship found his club to be non-conforming.

Shane Lowry reckons he’s a “different person” to the one that blew a four-shot lead in the final round of the 2016 US Open at Oakmont. We’re about to find out.Cheered on by a frenzied home crowd, the Offaly man is the same margin clear again in a major. This one is on home soil. Lowry would be toasted from one end of the Emerald Isle to the other if he finishes the job off this time by winning the 148th Open Championship at Royal Portrush.

Ernie Els, a two-time winner, has praised Bob MacIntyre for calling out a fellow player for not shouting ‘Fore’ in the 148th Open Championship and believes it is time for bans to be imposed when spectators are hit in such incidents.

American Kyle Stanley has hit back at Bob MacIntyre after being confronted by the young Scot for not shouting ‘Fore’ as he hit two people in the crowd in the second round of the 148th Open Championship.

The home fans went nuts when he won the Irish Open as an amateur in 2009, but that would be tame in comparison. You’ll hear the roar from across the Irish Sea, in fact, if Shane Lowry can keep this going.

The morning starters enjoyed the best of the weather in the second round at Royal Portrush – and 
Russell Knox is hoping Mother Nature will deliver a repeat for the penultimate circuit.

Oh to have the first day back, just one hole, any hole, but mostly the 16th where he rushed a short one and missed. There is no fairground ride in golf like Rory McIlroy. He promised a response and delivered, shooting a best-of-the-day 65 to close on two over par. It was not enough, falling agonisingly one shot the wrong side of the cut mark.

Open Championship rookie Bob MacIntyre lambasted Kyle Stanley, one of his playing partners at Royal Portrush, after the American twice hit people in the crowd in the second round without the traditional warning shout of “Fore”.

Brooks Koepka, the major machine, is lurking ominously on the Royal Portrush leaderboard, but so, too, is Jordan Spieth, who boasts one of the best recent records in the Open Championship.

Edinburgh man Neil Manchip helped Shane Lowry thrill the home fans as he made a promising start in the first Open Championship to be staged on Irish soil since 1951.

It will mainly be remembered as the day when Rory McIlroy’s dream turned into a nightmare, but there was much more that would have been talked about over pints of Guinness in the local hostelries at the end of a dramatic opening day in the 148th Open Championship at Royal 
Portrush.

Tiger Woods said he had been “trying to piece together a swing” as he carded his worst first-round score in 20 appearances in the Open Championship.

Bob MacIntyre made one of the best starts by a Scot in the Open Championship in nearly 20 years then insisted he can keep himself in the mix on his major debut at Royal Portrush.

The cheer as Rory McIlory walked up the 18th was one of sympathy. His ball was buried in a hillock to the right of the green. He had taken four strokes to get there. This was not the walk of destiny promised in the build-up, not the note of triumph in which all were invested. He finished with a seven, believe it or not, one better than the score with which he opened his account.

Russell Knox feared he’d be packing his bags early in the 148th Open Championship after feeling “depressed” about his game due to a Tuesday tune-up at Royal Portrush being “horrendous”.