Lowry rolls to record 11-shot Irish Open victory

Shane Lowry produced another golfing masterclass with a final-round 63 as the home favorite cruised to a record 11-shot win at the Irish Open.

The 39-year-old, who shot a course-record 62 on Friday, teed off Sunday with a four-shot lead and went on to make eight more birdies to dominate the field and finish at 23 under.

As his closest challengers, Jacob Skov Olesen and Joaquín Niemann, failed to make in-roads on the final day at the Trump International Ireland in Doonbeg, Lowry maintained his red-hot putting form.

He sank huge 45-foot efforts at the seventh and 15th holes and sealed his second Irish Open triumph in style, 17 years after winning it as an amateur in 2009, with another superb birdie putt at the last hole.

"To come here this week and do this, like come on! I don't know. I just don't do things by half measures," Lowry told Sky Sports. "I can't believe I'm standing here, [looking at] that leaderboard. My God! I didn't know how I was doing. I said to my caddie after holing 15, 'How far ahead are we?' He said, 'Far enough'. So I was happy with that.

"A lot of things went right for me. But this has been the most spectacular week. It's just mad. I can't believe it. My mum's just standing there, it's been unreal."

Patrick Reed emerged from the trailing pack to finish tied for second alongside Niemann at 12 under after making six birdies for a final-round 64.

Niemann birdied two of the final five holes for a 67, and Denmark's Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen carded a bogey-free 63, which included an eagle at the fifth, to finish third at 11 under.

Northern Ireland's Tom McKibbin ended an impressive week as he had a final-round 67 to finish at 10 under, tied for fifth alongside Gregorio De Leo after the Italian made a bogey-free 63.

England's Alex Fitzpatrick made seven birdies and two bogeys for a 65 for a share of seventh place with Olesen, while Lowry's close friend Rory McIlroy closed with a 67 to finish tied in 41st place on one under.

Lowry, whose last individual win was at the BMW PGA Championship in 2022, had extended his lead to four shots with U.S. President Donald Trump in attendance Saturday.

The Irishman also won the 2019 Open on home soil, at Royal Portrush Golf Club in County Antrim.

"My wife and my kids are back in Florida. When things are not going well at this level, it's hard at home as well, but my wife has been a huge support and my kids, I love them so much," Lowry said. "I'm so happy for them. I can't wait to bring a trophy home. My daughter is always asking, when are you going to bring a trophy home. So I'm going to bring a trophy home."