All of the focus on day two of the Open from an Irish perspective was Rory McIlroy, who ended his second round in third place, and on Castleknock man David Carey, who made the cut on his first appearance at the tournament. 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry had the best Irish moment of the tournament so far, however, with his remarkable back-to-back eagles in round three on Saturday.
Lowry sat on -3 as he approached the ninth hole, where his magic run began.
The Offaly man sensationally chipped in for two eagles in a row, a rare feat in a major championship, let alone at St Andrews.
The brilliant run put him right in the mix at the top of the leaderboard.
Shane Lowry at the Open: Irishman nails back-to-back eagles
Shane Lowry was not in contention entering day three of the Open, but that fast changed after his two-hole run in the middle of his Saturday round.
READ HERE: Brilliant Exchange Between Shane Lowry And Justin Thomas At The 18th
After a wayward tee shot at the par four ninth hole, Lowry was left with a tough chip from the rough. Incredibly, he would not only find the green, but found the hole for a brilliant eagle.
SHANE LOWRY FROM DOWNTOWN 😍pic.twitter.com/IF678vSvCm
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) July 16, 2022
He appeared overjoyed as he moved to -7, but things were about to get even better.
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Lowry found a nicer lie on the tenth hole, and once again was hoping to reach the green in two. He went one better once again, and nailed a second consecutive eagle to put himself in contention in sensational fashion.
Cool as you like. Shane Lowry is on FIRE! 🔥pic.twitter.com/tVOQaAWx4G
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) July 16, 2022
Arguably the highlight of the duo of eagles was the reaction of Lowry's playing partner Nicolai Hojgaard. The Danish player spotted the scene coming as the ball moved towards the hole, and turned to Lowry with glee as the eagle landed.
Lowry's feat was an incredibly rare one. He is the only player in the last 25 years to score back-to-back eagles on par four holes at a major (hat tip to golf writer Justin Ray for that brilliant stat).
Shane Lowry today is the only instance the last 25 years of a player making consecutive par 4 eagles in a major championship. https://t.co/2Z76F1UTdh
— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) July 16, 2022
Shane Lowry has certainly put himself in contention at the Open, and Irish fans can hope that he and Rory McIlroy can both be in the mix during the final round on Sunday.
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