He looked tired, and with good reason. Shane Lowry’s quest for a second Claret Jug had started with great expectations only to fizzle away and go flat, his work done long before the packed grandstands by the 18th – and the first – welcomed home the champion.
In truth, his bid had evaporated on the homeward journey of Saturday’s third round when, after back-to-back chip-in eagles on the ninth and 10th holes had thrust him into contention, the rest of the way home was littered with errors and a realisation with each step that the famous trophy was getting further and further out of reach.
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Lowry added a final round 70 to complete his work with a finishing total of nine-under-par 279, which left him tied-21st and all of 11 strokes adrift of Cameron Smith.
Emotions? Disappointment. Frustration.
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“It’s been a tough weekend. I’ve never felt as good coming into a tournament like this. I felt like it could really be my week. It’s not, so I’m obviously disappointed … it’s a week where it wasn’t far away. I played some lovely golf, it’s frustrating,” said Lowry, who brought his year’s work in the Majors to an end and now looking forward to a two-week break at home in Ireland before getting going again in eyeing up a place in the Tour Championship.
But it’s the Majors that occupy most of his thoughts for much of any given year and the Open most of all. “It’s disappointing that this is the last one of these [Majors] for nine months, that’s the big thing.”
For a man who lifted the trophy at Royal Portrush in 2019, a distant finish doesn’t hold much sway. “I love these weeks. It’s what I play golf for. It’s what I get out of bed in the morning for. So it’s now eight or nine months without one, so I’ll be counting down the months to the Masters [next April] again.”
Lowry had finished his round on Saturday intent on heading to the putting green to correct his putting. Did he find anything? “I shot two-under with no wind, so obviously not. I hit some decent putts there, but nothing went in. It was one of those days again ... I’ve not been far away. Look, it is what it is. It just shows you where I am and where my mental state is at that I’m pissed off at finishing there in a big tournament like this. I’d have been happy to have it five or six years ago, but not any more,” he admitted.
With a two-week break with his family ahead to unwind, and no intention to go anywhere near his golf clubs, Lowry can recharge the batteries and get ready for a return stateside for the FedEx Cup playoffs.
For qualifier David Carey, there is also a plan to take a small break and reflect on a debut appearance in a Major that brought some positives – in comfortably making the cut – but also disappointment in not playing to his full ability over the weekend, a final round 73 for 285, three-under-par, leaving the Dubliner in tied-62nd.
Unfortunately for him, the infamous Road Hole caused double trouble over the weekend. Carey double-bogeyed the 17th in Saturday’s third round and did so again in the final round, after finding the greenside trap for second straight day.
“I really don’t think I can hit the ball much worse than I have this weekend. My iron play has been really poor all week. If I can make the cut playing bad, well you have to think you can do better playing well. It’s easy to say that but if I can get myself in these positions more often, golf is really a numbers game. So, if I can play more events, you have to hit form at some stage and hope to hit form at the right time,” said the Dubliner.
He added: “It was nice to birdie the last but it would be nicer to birdie the last if I didn’t double bogey the 17th both days. That would have made the last feel a little bit better. It has been a good week in terms of experience. It is one thing watching these things on TV and another taking part. It was good to be a part of it.”
Carey, who plays mainly on the Alps Tour, has decided not to play in the tournament scheduled for Italy this week as he evaluates his itinerary.
