Lowry, in so many ways an old-fashioned golfer in this era of muscle-bound gym bunnies, out-lasted the rest in what turned into a real "survival of the fittest" affair.
Lowry built a four-stroke lead on Saturday when he shot a 63, one shot shy of tying the all-time low round in a major. I've had a really good feeling all weekend. He kept on my back all day, he kept talking to me, kept in my ear. "I watched Paddy win his two Opens", he said. I just didn't like doing it. "And look, I'm here now, a major champion".
"The hospitality I think is fantastic up here", said England's Justin Rose. No one got closer than three shots of Lowry all day. McIlroy admitted as much, when posting praise of Lowry on Monday alongside a photo of the duo in their amateur days.
The rain was verging on torrential, the putts weren't dropping, and Tommy Fleetwood was looking thoroughly miserable on the most remote part of the soggy Dunluce Links. While the huge Koepka strode up the first like a bronzed Finn McCool on a Causeway coast mission, the roars from behind signalled the arrival of Lowry on the first tee. Lowry's short game was better, too. Cotter thinks that as a course it more than passed the test this week. The job was nearly done, with the various contenders up ahead seeing their hopes disappear on the north coast wind. In the last 20 years, only four players have lost a 54-hole lead of four shots or more.
In footage now making the rounds on social media, Lowry, 32, is seen with the Claret Jug as he belts out the Irish folk ballad in front of a crowd. "It was incredible", he said.
"I have a lot of play for now". And it was just great out there today. And after he was introduced as "champion golfer of the year", he shared it with thousands of people he didn't even know, all of them crammed along the hillocks and swales, along the edge of the ocean, and who sat in the horseshoe-shaped grandstands on the 18th under umbrellas waiting for the Irishman to arrive.
"He started caddying for me in September of previous year, just when I started to play well again".
"The crowd was incredible", he said.
"The crowd is going wild. I can't believe I'm saying it, to be honest".
Pakistan PM Imran begins USA visit
When they meet on Monday Trump and Khan will first have to overcome a record of mutual hostility on social media. Meanwhile, hours before Khan's arrival , Pakistan hired the services of lobbying firm Holland & Knight.
And finally, if we do come back to Portrush soon, check out the form of the Abu Dhabi Championship.
Having a ball: Supporters at Esker Hills celebrate.
"I drank two yesterday, it's almost killing me".
Lowry, who revealed he cried in the vehicle park after missing the cut at Carnoustie a year ago, revelled in victory and was met by Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington as he left the 18th green. Incredibly, he could have afforded a worse score than Rory at the opening hole and he would have still finished up lifting the Claret Jug!
And like his great friend this was a grinder's Open win. "I thought I should put him right so replied, 'You mean how big will the party be this week". "Very proud of what everyone has accomplished here". "What a difference a year makes". Because it has been so long, people have been very excited about it. "But I'm really going to enjoy this first". - Portrush may just be the R&A's second finest British Open course.
"The way it was run, the golf course - everybody was raving about the golf course, how good it was".
However after the success of this year's tournament the R&A are understood to be considering bringing it back to Portrush in 2024. "You're out there trying to win an Open in your home country, and it's just incredibly hard".
There was no disguising Tommy Fleetwood's disappointment after finishing runner-up in the British Open on Sunday, with the Englishman left conceding glumly that the mountainous task set by Irish victor Shane Lowry had been just too steep for him. Hopefully we can all do it again a few years from now.
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