Shane Lowry is the second big name to sign up for the Irish Open which Graeme McDowell will host at Kilkenny’s Mount Juliet, over the late May Bank Holiday weekend.

SHANE Lowry will make his first appearance on home soil since claiming his maiden Major title at the 2019 Open Championship, as he seeks a second Irish Open title, in May.

The World No. 16 will target a second Rolex Series title, when Mount Juliet Estate hosts the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open on May 28-31, 2020.

The Offaly player is expected to receive a hero’s welcome at Mount Juliet in May – where Saudi International winner Graeme McDowell assumes the mantle as tournament host.

Lowry will be aiming to become only the second Irishman to win the island of Ireland’s national open on multiple occasions, after Harry Bradshaw (1947 and 1949).

The 32-year-old lifted the Claret Jug in front of the delirious home crowds at Royal Portrush Golf Club, in July.

His fist Major confirmed his status as an Irish sporting legend. It was Lowry’s second victory of a career-defining season, which also included a maiden Rolex Series title at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship earlier in the year.

“I can’t wait to tee it up in front of my home crowds at Mount Juliet in May,” said Lowry, who famously won his home open as an amateur in 2009.

“It’s always such an honour to play in front of the Irish fans and they have always been so supportive of me.

“They played such a massive part in my win at Portrush last July, so teeing up as Open champion at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open will be a great moment.

“With Graeme hosting the event – I know he’s keen to build on the momentum in Irish golf at the moment – and the fact it will be the May Bank Holiday weekend in Ireland, I think it’s going to make for an incredible festival atmosphere at Mount Juliet, much like Lahinch last year.

“I am honestly so excited for it,” said Shane, who was one of the first players to greet McDowell as he reached the scorer’s hut at the Royal Greens & Country Club, after his superb Saudia Arabian triumph, on Sunday.

Lowry joins World No. 3 Jon Rahm as the second superstar to be officially confirmed for the 2020 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, where the Spanish talent will defend his title.

Rahm will target a third victory in the historic national open having triumphed at Lahinch Golf Club, in 2019.

Mount Juliet Estate already boasts a prestigious list of winners after a three-year stint of hosting the event – with Sir Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer and Sam Torrance winning there in 1993, 1994 and 1995 respectively.

And Rahm will be hoping to join another prestigious list this May as he seeks his third Irish Open win in four years, having picked up his first at Portstewart, in Northern Ireland, in 2017.

Mount Juliet’s luxury five-star resort in Kilkenny also hosted Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf in 1997, a challenge match between Tom Watson and Fred Couples.

It was won by the latter, and was also the venue for the WGC-American Express Championship in 2002 and 2004 – won by Tiger Woods and Ernie Els respectively.

Early bird tickets offer cheaper prices for fans heading to Irish Open in late May

EARLY bird ticket prices for the 2020 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open begin at €13 for the Wednesday pro-am day, with Thursday and Friday day tickets available for a special price of €23.

Saturday and Sunday tickets beginning at €27. Fans can enjoy five days of world-class golf and entertainment for only €83 if they purchase their early bird season tickets before March 3.

Children under 12 years of age are entitled to free entry when accompanied by an adult.

Day junior tickets for those between 12 and 17 years of age are €10 (€25 for a season ticket) while students aged between 18 and 24 with valid student cards, and over 65s, can avail themselves of a discounted ticket.

They cost €15 for Thursday and Friday, €20 for Saturday and Sunday (€60 for a season). Parking access can be purchased for €5 per day, or €10 for a season parking ticket which covers all five days.

The only official sales channel to purchase tickets for this year’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Open is via the ticketing platform Eventbrite.

The resale of Dubai Duty Free Irish Open tickets on unofficial platforms contravenes the European Tour’s ticket terms and conditions and such sales render the ticket void.

Official hospitality tickets are also available on the ticketing page, or alternatively contact the European Tour’s dedicated hospitality sales team by calling (01344) 840681.

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Open Champion Shane Lowry wants a win in the Turkish Airlines Open to boost his chances of wining the 2019 Race to Dubia. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

OPEN Champion Shane Lowry has his sights set on a strong finish to the 2019 Race to Dubai with the aim of becoming European No. 1 for the first time in his career as he prepares for the Turkish Airlines Open.

The Irishman, who triumphed at Royal Portrush in July, is less than 700 points behind current Race to Dubai rankings leader Bernd Wiesberger.

But, with increased points on offer in the final three events of the season, there is still all to play for, starting at The Montgomerie Maxx Royal in Belek, this week – – the sixth Rolex Series event of the season.

Already a Rolex Series winner this year after securing the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in January, Lowry is going in search of a sixth European Tour title in Turkey.

Lowry was unable to mount a charge for a second WGC title in the HSBC Champions in Shanghai last week, finishing 43rd some 18 shots behind Rory McIlroy.

“It’s my main goal over the next few weeks to perform as best as I can,” said Lowry.

“It would be lovely if I got to the final 18 holes in Dubai with a chance to win the Race to Dubai. To be European No. 1 would be really special and would add to the year I’ve had.

“I think it would be the icing on the cake. I’m going to give it my best shot but if I don’t win it, I won’t be too disappointed.

“I’ve had a decent year and I’d be pretty happy with what I’ve got at Christmas,” said Lowry, who won the Irish Open when still an amateur in 2008.

“To start the year with a win in Abu Dhabi at a Rolex Series event was huge – that gave me the confidence going forward.

“Outside of a Major, as a European Tour player it probably doesn’t get much bigger. There are WGCs as well, but Rolex Series events are definitely up there.”

Returning to Turkey with happy memories from last year are Thomas Detry and Martin Kaymer.

Belgian Detry recorded his best finish in a Rolex Series event at Regnum Carya Golf & Spa Resort.

A back-nine blitz of five consecutive birdies saw him move to 15-under, two strokes behind defending champion Justin Rose, who defeated Li Haotong in a play-off.

Detry said: “I have just taken two weeks off, so I feel fresh and ready to play well.

“Got good memories from here last year. Finished third. It’s the start of a good stretch of golf and hopefully we’ll make the best out of this week.

“I rested the first week, really not doing much. Just seeing friends and been working out but not that much.

“Last week I picked up the clubs again. The weather unfortunately is not that good at home, but very happy to see some sun again.

“Last year, I played well the whole week. I think it was on Sunday afternoon, I made five birdies in a row and pushed me from 15^th spot to tied for third.

“It was amazing. The golf course was amazing. The weather is fantastic. It’s a beautiful place. You have everything you need, practice facilities, hotels and good golf courses.

“I played nine holes yesterday. The course is beautiful, really good,” added Detry, who is still looking for his maiden win on the European Tour.

“Played here a long time ago when I was practicing. I came down here with the Belgian federations, and I’ve had a faint memory of a few holes. But it will be good to play to refresh my mind.”

Kaymer finished in a share of fifth last year and is a regular visitor to the region.

Kaymer said: “I came here I think every year since the tournament is on. It’s nice, especially that time of year.

“Being in Germany last week, seeing the weather there, the practice facilities. It’s nice to come out here and enjoy the great golf courses that they have around here.

“The game is feeling fine. I feel fairly calm on the golf course. I really enjoy that whole process that I’m going through right now, focusing on the right things. Not being distracted too much by stuff that doesn’t really matter.

“Yeah, it’s one of those weeks that I look forward to every year to get here,” added Kaymer, whose last of 11 European Tour wins came in the 2014 US Open.

“Sometimes it’s a bit underrated. It does still mean that you had a decent season. That’s all you can do this week. Try to do your best and stick to that form.”

At 66^th and 71^st on the Race to Dubai rankings respectively, both players will be looking to secure their spots in the Nedbank Golf Challenge and DP World Tour Championship, Dubai.

Just the top 60 and then 50 players available from the Race to Dubai rankings will take part in the final two events of the season.

•To see the first round tee times in the Turkish Airlines Open click here.

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Open Champion Shane Lowry won’t take things easy in the Dunhill Links despite the relaxed pro am format… the Irishman wants to win the Race to Dubai. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

SHANE Lowry will tee it up at the Home of Golf for the first time as Open Champion this week when the Irishman features in a star-studded field of golfers and celebrities at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

The 32-year-old claimed his maiden Major title at Royal Portrush two months ago, and has been riding the crest of a wave of positivity and celebration since.

He posted a tied 11^th place finish in his first European Tour appearance since becoming Champion Golfer of the Year at last week’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

And now he is relishing a return to links golf – which has provided him with two of his stand-out achievements thus far, his famous Irish Open victory as an amateur in 2009 as well as his Open Championship triumph.

Lowry said: “It feels like every tournament I play now is a big event.

“Obviously I had a decent week at Wentworth last week, so I was happy enough with that and hopefully I can take that form into this week and have a good week here.

“It is relaxed here but we’re all very competitive people – I know I am – and I desperately want to go out there this week and do well.

“I want to consolidate my place at the top of the Race to Dubai but I have a couple of months to do that and there are going to be some big tournaments.

“There are some great players behind me but if I can do my own business hopefully I’ll do OK.

“I am playing in every tournament I was going to play in before I won the Open so my schedule hasn’t changed at all.

“I’m playing in everything – Dubai and one of the other two as usual – so I’m just trying to go out there and shoot the best scores I can and if I do that I feel like I’ll have a good end to the season.

“Obviously I’ve some recent success on links terrain so any time you come here – especially on days like today at St Andrews, the home of golf – it’s just special.

“So I’m going out for a game this afternoon and I’m looking forward to it.”

Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard returns as defending champion in a pro-am format event which takes in St Andrews Old Course, Kingsbarns Golf Links and Carnoustie Golf Links.

Bjerregaard said: “It’s really nice being back, some fond memories of last year even though it was very cold.

“I’ve not been playing as well as I’d like the last couple of months so hopefully some of those good memories can spark a little something in my game.

“It’s little things here and there, it’s not quite come together. It’s not far away and that’s what’s been frustrating.

“It feels like it’s right there and I just can’t really put it all together at once. Hopefully I’ll figure it out this week.

“Becoming a father has helped me mature a lot as a person but also as a golfer. It’s helped me in a lot of ways.

“It’s nice to have them around, they weren’t here last year but they’ve come here this year. It’s a great place and fun town with some good restaurants so we’ll have a brilliant week.”

Former Walker Cup player Robert MacIntyre will lead the home hopes, aiming to become the first Scottish winner of the event since Colin Montgomerie took the title back in 2005.

McIntyre, who was a member of the Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup team two years ago, said: “It’s great to be here, but it’s not just about being at St Andrews, being in front of a home crowd the support will be good again and hopefully we can have a good week.

“You’re out here with stars, celebrities, but it’s just about me being here to play golf and enjoy myself. Having a chat on the way round as well, which I like.

“It’s been a quick year. At the start I was just trying to keep my card and then after the British Masters you sit back and go well, now I need to push on and try to win.

“Going from just trying to keep your card to trying to win on the European Tour is a drastic move, but I’m enjoying myself.

“I’ve not reflected too much, which is probably a good thing. We just keep going. You’re turning up trying to win at the end of the day, but we just try to enjoy ourselves, especially this week on home soil and this kind of format.”

All the players in the field play each course once, before the cut falls at the conclusion of round three on Saturday, and the battle for the title returns to St Andrews for the final day.

Among the Walker Cup players who have turned pro since GB&I lost to America at Hoylake earlier this month, Somerset’s Tom Plumb, West Cornwall’s Harry Hall and Scot Euan Walker, from Kilmarnock (Barassie), have been handed invites to play in the Alfred Dunhill Links.

Royal Liverpool’s Matthew Jordan, a winner on the Challenge Tour, and Remedy Oak’s Jack Singh-Brar, the former Hampshire Junior Champion, are the other two members of the 2017 Walker Cup team to get invites this week – along with Frenchman Romain Langasque, who won the Amateur Championship at Carnoustie, in 2015.

The post Why Open Champion Shane Lowry loves Dunhill Links and has eye on Race to Dubai appeared first on Golf North.

Open champion Shane Lowry receives his Euorpean Tour honorary life membership from chief executive Keith Pelley, at Wentworth, in the build up to this week’s BMW PGA Championship. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

SHANE Lowry has been awarded honorary life membership of the European Tour in recognition of his Open Championship victory in July.

The Irishman finished six shots clear of Tommy Fleetwood at Royal Portrush to lift the Claret Jug in front of packed galleries at the County Antrim venue.

It was the perfect result to get a home winner as the island of Ireland hosted the Open Championship for the first time since 1951.

It was Lowry’s maiden Major Championship triumph and came 10 years after his unforgettable breakthrough victory as an amateur at the 2009 Irish Open, at County Louth Golf Club, in Baltray.

The 32-year-old currently leads the European Tour’s Race to Dubai, having also won the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship – the first Rolex Series event of 2019.

He was presented with his honorary life membership by European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley ahead of the BMW PGA Championship – the season’s fourth Rolex Series event – which gets under way at Wentworth Club, on Thursday.

Lowry said: “It is pretty cool to receive this award. When you start playing golf when you’re a kid you don’t know how good you can be, or even when you start playing as a pro.

“I didn’t know that I would get to this day so it’s pretty cool,” added Lowry, who first showed his promise on the world stage by claiming the WGC Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone, in 2015.

“I’ve obviously joined a nice list of names, which is pretty good as well,” Shane added. “My heart lies with The European Tour. I’ll always be a member.

“I love coming back and I love playing in events like this. So it’s an extreme privilege to receive this,” said Lowry, who played alongside Rory McIlroy for Ireland as an amateur.

Mr Pelley said: “Shane’s incredible victory at Royal Portrush will be remembered as one of the iconic performances in the championship’s storied history.

“Shane is a terrific character and I think you when you look at the remarkable reception he enjoyed across the island of Ireland in the week following his win, in addition to the warmth and praise on social media globally, that shows you how popular he is in the game.

“He is also a wonderful ambassador for the European Tour, and is therefore a truly worthy recipient of this honour.”

Lowry, who has won five times on the European Tour, becomes the 56th person to be awarded Honorary Life Membership of the European Tour.

The award comes 41 years after John Jacobs, the European Tour’s founding father, was the first to receive the accolade in 1978.

European Tour honorary life members

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Open Champion Francesco Molinari has won more holes in his first two matches than any of the other 63 players in the field at the WGC-Dell World Match Play so far. Picture by GETTY IMAGES

FRANCESCO Molinari’s love affair with match play golf continued at Austin Country Club as the Italian cruised to a second successive victory in the group stages of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, beating his fellow 2018 Ryder Cup team-mate Thorbjørn Olesen 4&3, on Thursday.

The reigning Race to Dubai Champion has won more holes than any other player this week after the opening two days of play in Texas, with 15, while he is the only player to have won both of his matches prior to the 16^th hole.

Including his incredible 100 per cent record at The Ryder Cup last September, Molinari has now won seven consecutive match play encounters in which he has played.

And the Italian faces Webb Simpson in round three later today (Friday) hoping to seal his passage to the weekend knockout stages.

Molinari said: “It was somewhat similar to yesterday – very good start the first six, eight holes and tried to control his comebacks.

“I have a lot of respect for Thorbjørn as a player, so I knew it was going not be an easy match.

“He fought hard today and obviously played some solid golf. So hopefully more to come the next few days.”

Justin Rose will also play Gary Woodland knowing a win will see him through having come back from three down with four to play against Frilford Heath’s Eddie Pepperell to gain a half.

Hampshire raised Rose revealed: “Obviously I’m delighted to get a halve. I had a great match with Eddie. He’s such a class individual, as well as player.

“To the point where you almost feel sorry for him by doing that to him over the last few holes.

“I felt I needed to birdie the last four holes, but we didn’t birdie the par five, otherwise I would’ve won the match. But my goal was to birdie out. And obviously you set new intention.

“You kind of forget everything that’s happened previously in the match and that’s the way you’ve got to do it.

“Eddie was obviously very, very hard for me. The whole day he was just solid, and his short game is so good. As you saw on 17 he’s never out of the hole.

“Every time he missed a green he upped and downed it. So I had to win holes with birdies.”

Rose also revealed he had been lifted by his long-time caddie Mark “Fooch” Fulcher, who was watching in the gallery as he continues to recover from minor heart surgery.

Justin, from North Hants GC, said: “I have to give a little credit to Foochie. He’s been walking on the sidelines here.

“He kind of gave me a bit of a ‘come on Rosy’ with four holes to play and lifted my spirits a bit and obviously fought hard for it.

“I could tell he hadn’t given up on me. That picked me up a little bit and made me dig a little deeper possibly.”

The half means Pepperell will be flying home early, having lost his first round match to Gary Woodland 2&1 as even a victory over Argentinian Emiliano Grillo will not be enough.

Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, meanwhile, will face off with the USA’s 2020 Ryder Cup Captain Jim Furyk in a winner-takes-all clash, with both players having won their opening two matches.

The 2016 Open Champion said: “I played okay. It’s difficult out there. You’ve got a course where the standard is quite high.

“It’s undulated greens and it’s blowing a good two-club wind. It’s difficult to get it right.

“A lot of times with the shorter clubs it’s probably even harder to get the yardages right than with some longer irons.

“It was difficult conditions. I played pretty solid and didn’t give much for free, even though I tried on one or two occasions.

“I kept it together nicely, and he gave me one or two easy holes, and other than that I thought I had it under control most of the day.”

Lucas Bjerregaard, Branden Grace, Matt Kuchar, Marc Leishman, Li Haotong, Rory McIlroy all hold the outright lead in their respective groups heading into day three.

Among those players still in with a shout of qualifying should they win their final group match include European Tour members Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Paul Casey, Bryson DeChambeau, Tony Finau, Billy Horschel, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Alex Noren, Olesen, Louis Oosthuizen, Ian Poulter, Jon Rahm, Xander Schauffele and Matt Wallace.

Garcia maintaineed his 100 per cent record with a 5&4 win over American Andrew Putnam and said: “Pretty much everything went well today.

“I think I missed maybe one green in these conditions, which were quite tough – a little wind, gusty. I drove the ball very, very well and it my irons really well. I gave myself a lot of birdie opportunities.

“I put pressure on him every single hole. And after I got in front – other than that little bogey on 13 – I hit a good second shot just a little too hard – I didn’t give him anything. I kept putting pressure on him.”

Grace, who got the better of World No. 1 Dustin Johnson never having been behind in the match, admitted: “This is fun. Obviously I wish there were more of these events in a year, even if there’s just one more.

“But I think it’s tricky around a golf course like this because it’s elevated. There’s a lot of wind. It’s open.

“You still have to hit it in the fairways, you can’t always just play the golf course and try and make birdies.

“You have to keep your eye on what your opponent is doing, and feed off that and make decisions according to that.

“It’s always nice to beat the Number One player in the world. I knew it was going to be a lot of solid golf.

“And he obviously made a couple of birdies here and there, obviously with the power that he can get on the golf ball.”

For today’s matches and live scoring see here

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