Lowry’s gloom in sunshine as Scheffler stays ahead

Ill-health added to the third round woes of the Irishman, winner of the 2019 Open Championship at the Royal Portrush course

Portrush: Just as one local hero, Rory McIlroy, blasted off the gates on Saturday in the 153rd Open Championship, another trudged in, deflated and disgusted.

Ireland's Shane Lowry lines up a putt on the first green during the third round. (REUTERS)

Shane Lowry’s dreams of completing a Portrush double all but disappeared on Saturday when he retched his way around the golf course, shooting a three-over 74. The Irishman who said he started vomiting since 2:30am, looked out of sorts and took several bathroom breaks while playing with Jon Rahm.

This followed a late-evening drama on Friday when he was assessed a two-shot penalty after his ball moved while playing his second shot on the 12th hole. On a golf course where birdies are at a premium, a hard-fought 70 turned into a one-over 72.

“It wasn’t great. I haven’t eaten today yet. I tried to get a protein drink down me, and I felt like throwing up all over the place. It’s been a tough day, but I’m not going to make excuses. I played poorly today and had a bad finish,” said the Irishman.

“But I had to take the penalty because I can’t have my name talked about or tossed around like that, and I just get on with it. It’s obviously very disappointing. I felt like I played really well.”

His playing partner, world No.1 Scottie Scheffler, said: “I felt like Shane was put in a pretty tough situation there when they were zooming in on his golf ball. In the rough, it’s hard to tell.

“Shane handled it really well… It’s frustrating for me as a competitor of his and a player to watch him deal with that, because the last thing you want to be known in the game of golf is somebody who cheats.”

Scheffler shot a seven-under 64 on Friday to open a one-shot lead over England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, and halfway into Saturday, he had doubled it with an eagle on the par-5 seventh, followed by a birdie on the eighth. Scheffler was 3-under after 12 holes, leading by three shots.

As the leaders made the turn on a glorious summer day, it was a remarkable coincidence that the top nine players, barring China’s Haotong Li, at the stage had made at least one eagle in their round. Defending champion Xander Schauffele made two – on the seventh and 12th holes.

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy energised the crowd with his exciting start of three birdies in his first four holes, and later buried a 56-footer eagle putt on the 12th. He was 8-under after 16 holes.

Wyndham Clark, the 2023 US Open champion who was recently banned from this year’s venue, the Oakmont Country Club, for smashing lockers, made a determined five-under par, bogey-free 66. The incident happened when the 31-year-old missed the cut by one shot this year. A letter confirming his ban was sent out earlier this week, and he refused to speak to the media in Portrush after his round.

In the letter to its members, the club wrote: “Reinstatement would be contingent upon Mr Clark fulfilling a number of specific conditions, including full repayment for damages, a meaningful contribution to a charity of the board’s choosing, and the successful completion of counselling and/or anger management sessions.”

Clarke apologised during the Scottish Open last week and it was a “good wake-up call for me to say, ‘Hey, you know what, let’s get back on track’.”