Shane Lowry leads the Irish challenge at the Amgen Irish Open with Rory McIlroy in close attendance after a first round played in very testing conditions at Doonbeg.<\/p>\n
While the tournament has been dominated by the expected visit of United States President Donald Trump, the on-course action got underway amid high gusts and Lowry’s round of 67 was enough for a share of second place on three-under par, with McIlroy two shots further back on one-under.<\/p>\n
Chilean Juaquin Niemann was out early in a group with Ireland’s Seamus Power and Austria\u2019s Sepp Straka, and a run of four birdies from the 14th to the 17th saw him shoot to the top of the pile on five-under par, with a course-record 65.<\/p>\n
Power was unable to match his playing partner and his round of 73 leaves him on three-over and in a real fight to stick around for the weekend.<\/p>\n
Gusts up to 35 miles-per-hour saw balls oscillating on greens with Frenchman Frederic Lacroix seeing his blown off the putting surface at the 13th, but he had fortunately already marked so was able to replace it.<\/p>\n
Lowry, who won the event as a 22-year-old amateur in Baltray, <\/p>\n
Long waits on many tee boxes had been commonplace, but McIlroy, who had won the event at the K Club last year, started with two birdies in his first four holes before getting to the turn in a two-under 34 \u2013 in three-and-a-half hours.<\/p>\n
After missing a four-foot birdie chance at the first he holed a 14-footer at the second, splashed out of a bunker to three feet at the par-five fourth for his second birdie, but missed from 10ft at the seventh for a third.<\/p>\n
McIlroy found the fairway bunker on the 13th, and a missed 10-foot putt saw him take a double-bogey hit before a fine approach to the 15th helped quickly pull a stroke back.<\/p>\n
The world number two, though, could not make the most of what proved limited opportunities over the closing run, narrowly missing a lengthy birdie attempt on the 18th, and will return on Friday morning hoping to improve along with the weather forecast.<\/p>\n
\ud835\uddd9\ud835\ude02\ud835\uddfb \ud835\uddee\ud835\ude01 \ud835\ude01\ud835\uddf5\ud835\uddf2 \ud835\uddf3\ud835\uddfc\ud835\ude02\ud835\uddff\ud835\ude01\ud835\uddf5 \ud835\uddf6\ud835\uddfb \ud835\uddd7\ud835\uddfc\ud835\uddfc\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddef\ud835\uddf2\ud835\uddf4 \u2014 RT\u00c9 Sport (@RTEsport) September 10, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n “There was a couple of things that were tough today. Obviously the wind and the strength of the wind was one thing, and then the pace of play,” McIlroy said.<\/p>\n “This course isn’t conducive to sort of letting you get in a flow. Especially the first two days with so many people in the field, there is a lot of stopping and starting.<\/p>\n “It’s hard when you are playing a round of golf and it takes six hours, it\u2019s hard to get into the rhythm of things, but felt like I did a good job.<\/p>\n “After making the double bogey on 13, I was just trying to get those two shots back by the end of the day. Didn\u2019t quite do that, but I think finishing under par for the day was a reasonable effort.”<\/p>\n McIlroy added: “I hung in there, shot under par, and at least don\u2019t feel like I\u2019m out of the tournament. A good day tomorrow gets me right back in it.”<\/p>\n ‘\ud835\udde7\ud835\uddf5\ud835\uddee\ud835\ude01’\ud835\ude00 \ud835\ude04\ud835\uddf5\ud835\uddee\ud835\ude01 \ud835\ude01\ud835\uddf5\ud835\uddf2\ud835\ude00\ud835\uddf2 \ud835\uddf4\ud835\ude02\ud835\ude06\ud835\ude00 \ud835\uddee\ud835\uddff\ud835\uddf2 \ud835\uddf4\ud835\uddf2\ud835\ude01\ud835\ude01\ud835\uddf6\ud835\uddfb\ud835\uddf4 \ud835\ude01\ud835\uddf5\ud835\uddf2 \ud835\uddef\ud835\uddf6\ud835\uddf4 \ud835\uddf1\ud835\uddfc\ud835\uddf9\ud835\uddf9\ud835\uddee\ud835\uddff\ud835\ude00 \ud835\uddf3\ud835\uddfc\ud835\uddff’
McIlroy gets up and down from the greenside bunker for a birdie before Lowry, Reed and Rahm have a cut at the par-five fourth hole… #RTEgolf<\/a> #AmgenIrishOpen<\/a>
\ud83d\udcfa RT\u00c92
\ud83d\udda5\ufe0f https:\/\/t.co\/XnOP6grnB7<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/1kyVlBHSsX<\/a><\/p>\n
The wind is blowing in Doonbeg and the action has slowed to a crawl. Not that our panel will be getting the violins out for the #AmgenIrishOpen<\/a> field #RTEgolf<\/a>
\ud83d\udcfa RT\u00c92 & RT\u00c9player pic.twitter.com\/7NdG3OWxqj<\/a><\/p>\n