Ireland’s Shane Lowry’s Royal Portrush win seals his first major

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Ireland's Shane Lowry claimed a first major championship win with a dominant six-shot victory on 15 under par amid raucous scenes at The Open.

Lowry started the celebrations early, his arms aloft as he squeezed through the crowds who swarmed the 18th fairway at Northern Ireland's Royal Portrush.

"This feels like an out-of-body experience," said the 32-year-old.

Lowry held his nerve in the wind and rain to shoot a one-over 72, with Tommy Fleetwood second on nine under. 

England's Fleetwood briefly threatened but a double bogey on the 14th effectively ended his challenge as he finished with a three-over 74.

"I can't wait to wake up on Monday morning and find out what it's going to feel like then. It's just going to be incredible," added Lowry who was mobbed before he reached the green on the last hole.

'To do it at Portrush – you couldn't write it' says Open champion Lowry

Thousands of partisan fans lined the 18th to cheer Lowry's victory procession and as he turned to embrace his caddie Brian 'Bo' Martin after hitting his second shot to the green, hundreds flooded the fairway ahead of him.

Lowry and Martin were shepherded through the crowds and under a rope by marshals to allow them safe passage.

There will also have been a sense of redemption for Lowry following his final-round capitulation at the US Open three years ago when, like on Sunday, he started with a four-shot lead but a 76 saw him fall away as Dustin Johnson won.

American Tony Finau carded a one-over-par 71 to end third on seven-under, his best finish at a major.

An up-and-down round for England's Lee Westwood saw him card a two-over 73 for a share of the fourth that guarantees him a place at next year's Masters. He finished six-under overall alongside world number one Brooks Koepka who struggled to a 74.

The 148th Open Championship – final-round leaderboard

-15 S Lowry (Ire); -9 T Fleetwood (Eng); -7 T Finau (US); -6 L Westwood (Eng), B Koepka (US); -5 R MacIntyre (Sco), T Hatton (Eng), D Willett (Eng), R Fowler (US); -4 P Reed (US) 

Selected others: -3 F Molinari (Ita), T Lewis (Eng), J Thomas (US), J Rahm (Spa); -1 L Oosthuizen (SA), M Fitzpatrick (Eng), J Spieth (US), J Rose (Eng); +2 R Knox (Sco), M Kuchar (US); +3 B Watson (US); +4 P Casey (Eng), G McDowell (NI); +5 J Furyk (US); +6 JB Holmes (US)