Lowry regains focus to deliver in style

West of Ireland Amateur Championship: THESE DAYS, the life of an elite amateur golfer can mean traversing more time zones than a commercial pilot; and, for much of the next few months, Shane Lowry's passport will be as important as carrying his golf clubs as he sets about globetrotting to rather more exotic climes than Rosses Point in the quest for more silverware. Philip Reid, reports from Rosses Point

Yet, no matter what the future holds, few titles will be as precious to him as the West of Ireland amateur championship which Lowry - a week off his 21st birthday - claimed yesterday at Co Sligo Golf Club, where he overcame Mullingar's Dessie Morgan by 2 and 1 in a final that mirrored the changeable weather: moments of sublime genius were interspersed with sloppy errors. They were ingredients that made for a captivating encounter.

On a day when a stiff wind came in off the north Atlantic to make players think twice about club selection and use guile in shot-making, Lowry - the Irish close champion and son of the former Offaly All-Ireland-winning footballer Brendan - needed to go to the famous par-four 17th hole to defeat Morgan, a player appearing in his first championship final but revelling in the role of attempting to usurp the favourite.

In the morning, Lowry had played brilliantly in overcoming Galway's Eddie McCormack in the semi-finals. Lowry, who learnt his golf at Esker Hills, had not fewer than five birdies in accounting for McCormack by 5 and 4, while Morgan was three under par after five holes in establishing an early lead over The Curragh's Paul O'Hanlon and eventually went on to secure a 3 and 2 win.

The final, though, had Lowry's grip on it from an early stage; and when he went three-up after 11 holes, it looked as if the important follow-on win from his maiden championship success in last year's Irish Close was imminent.

The final yards to a second "major" proved tougher, however.

"I was cruising and I don't know what happened," said Lowry.

What happened was Lowry, as he later conceded, got "too complacent" - three-putting the 12th and 13th, the latter error forced on him by a superb tee-shot to five feet from Morgan.

Playing the 14th, Lowry's problems seemed to spiral out of control when he thinned his nine-iron approach to a horrible spot in the rough to the right of the green. He had shortsided himself, and was left with a virtually impossible shot to the flag.

It is in such moments, however, that true champions produce something special; and Lowry, lob wedge in hand, proceeded to play the most exquisite chip, which involved moving the ball no more than three feet and then letting the contours of the mounds allow it to run down to just two-and-a-half feet from the hole.

He sank the par putt for a half, and strode to the 15th tee still one up and a more focused player.

"Originally, I was going to try and fly it on," he recalled, "but I said to myself, 'pick a spot, hit it there and hope for the best'."

Having gotten himself out of jail, Lowry won the 16th to regain his two-hole lead after Morgan's tee shot to the 215-yard par three overshot the green and he was left with an extremely difficult up-and-down to save par, which he failed to achieve.

So it was that the 17th, one of golf's great holes, provided the conclusion to this year's final; and it was a hole that showed off the short-game virtuosity of the two players: Lowry, having driven into the valley, was forced to lay-up with his approach but proceeded to hit a lob wedge approach to four feet, while Morgan's second shot finished in heavy rough by the greenside and he played a sublime shot to 10 feet. Morgan holed out superbly for par, but then watched as Lowry held his nerve to follow him in and claim the title.

In some ways, it was redemption for Lowry. In 2006, in his championship debut, he had been disqualified when heading the strokeplay qualifying for signing for a wrong score (his marker had inadvertently transposed scores on two holes).

"It's great to win another championship," he said. "This is almost a better field than the Close, because you also have the English players coming over . . . it's great to get another win under my belt."

Lowry plays in next week's Grey Goose amateur tournament in Spain, followed by a trip to play top amateur events in Australia and playing for Europe against Asia in Spain.

It's a prelude to a hectic summer as he bids to consolidate his bid for Walker Cup honours next year (at the Merion club in the US) before, hopefully, heading off in search of a professional career. "The Walker Cup is a year and a half away and, after that, I'd like to go to tour school. I think with a bit of improvement I'd be good enough (for tour)," he said.

For now, Lowry can savour a second championship win inside the past year during which he has emerged as Ireland's top amateur and, more pertinently, possibly surpassed his dad as the household's top sportsman.

"I think I'm after passing him out now," he quipped.