Point proven. Shane Lowry, the Irish champion, didn't get a Walker Cup call-up for the shindig at Royal County Down earlier this month, but the 20-year-old Offaly man put down an early marker for the match in famed Merion, Pennsylvania, in 2009, with another impressive performance in yesterday's conclusion to the men's amateur Home Internationals at Co Louth Golf Club where he took the scalp of Nigel Edwards in inspiring Ireland to a 10-5 win over Wales.
While England regained the Raymond Trophy after a three-year absence with a 9-6 victory over Scotland that was harder earned than the margin suggests, Lowry - the son of former Offaly All-Ireland football winner Brendan - confirmed his rich potential with an personal haul of five-and-a-half points from a possible six, a fine performance that included singles wins over two Walker Cup players, Danny Willett and Edwards.
"You know, I love this place," said Lowry, who enjoyed a fruitful season that saw him win the Irish Close and aid Ireland to the European team title. "It was playing here in the East of Ireland in June (where he was third) that really kick-started my season and, now, one of my goals is to make the Walker Cup team in two years time. To do that, you've really got to perform well in the various championships in Britain over the next couple of seasons. But I'll be competing in all of the big ones."
Certainly, Lowry - who was the only unbeaten player from the four teams in the championships - let his game do the talking at these Home Internationals. Having accounted for English champion Willett on Thursday, the Esker Hills clubman was six under par in yesterday's top singles in defeating Edwards, a four-time Walker Cup player.
"I didn't look on it as taking on a Walker Cup player, just as another match," he said.
Lowry, who next month starts his business studies at NUI Maynooth where he has received one of the Paddy Harrington Scholarships, included an eagle, five birdies and a lone bogey in his round. He was one-up at the turn before turning the screw on the way home with wins at the 10th, 13th and 14th in birdies that paved the way for a notable win.
On this occasion, Lowry's leadership was followed through as Simon Ward, who had seven birdies in the 15 holes it took him to account for Ryan Thomas, the impressive Neil Ó Briain, Cian McNamara, Cian Curley and Connor Doran all claimed singles wins, while Paul Cutler and Joe Lyons halved their matches.
Following the 3-2 advantage held after the morning foursomes, Ireland's 7-3 demolition job in the singles - when Joe Lyons was drafted back in after Paul O'Hanlon was forced to cry off with a wrist injury - gave them a 10-5 overall win that enabled them to leapfrog Scotland on count-back to claim second place in the matches behind England.
The showdown between England and Scotland proved tighter than anticipated at lunchtime, at which stage the English held a 3½ to 1½ lead from the foursomes.
However, the Scots took the first three singles matches and, in the end, it took fortitude from England to prevail. Gary Wolstenholme, Ben Parker, Gary Boyd and Dale Whitnell won their singles, and Charlie Ford's halved match with Jonathan King brought England over the finishing line.
The win was embellished by Chris Wood's win over Paul O'Hara, the Englishman winning the 18th.
