Open Championship 2022 - Shane Lowry chips in twice in successive holes for back-to-back eagles
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Updated 16/07/2022 at 17:10 GMT
Shane Lowry loves Links golf, as he proved when winning the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in 2019. He made a slow start on the Old Course at St Andrews, and narrowly avoided missing the cut on Friday. But he powered into contention on moving day with some sparkling golf that thrilled the crowds.
‘A greater impact on the game than any course in history’ - Hole-by-hole guide to the Old Course
Shane Lowry powered into contention at the Open Championship at St Andrews on the back of two amazing eagles.
The 2019 champion flirted with missing the cut on Friday, but back-to-back birdies on 17 and 18 ended any worries.
He started moving day nine shots behind the leader and in benign conditions, two birdies and a bogey in the opening eight holes gave no indication of the fun that was to follow.
The ninth on the Old Course is a driveable par four, and second-easiest on the course.
Lowry found the rough on the left and was likely thinking of a chip and putt for a birdie when he addressed the ball.
But the Irishman is a genius with a wedge and he clipped it off the turf, saw it skip forward and release before rolling on and on and into the hole.
The celebration was low key. Maybe he was saving it up for something better.
One hole later it arrived. The 10th is another scoring opportunity, but players are likely thinking birdies rather than eagles.
Not Lowry, whose drive pulled up 50 yards short of the hole. Once again, the magician pulled out the wedge, bumped the ball into the bank and saw it trundle into the hole. The celebration was more animated, and deservedly so.
In two holes, Lowry had moved from five-under to nine-under and on the front page of the leaderboard where his presence would catch the eye of those in contention.
Lowry’s eyes were set on a charge, but it never materialised as he dropped shots on 12, 15 and 17. A birdie on 18 left him on seven-under.
Scan me
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement