Too often are sporting events touted for their drama and quickly forgotten for lack thereof.
Lebron James’ heroic chase-down block on Andre Iguodala in the final minutes of the NBA Finals three years ago is now enshrined in basketball lore, but does anyone remember Super Bowl XLVIII and a Russell Wilson-led Seattle Seahawks team drudging over the Denver Broncos?
Obviously, theatrical moments in sports are treasured for what they give to their audience, an excitement and a feeling only the moment can provide. But it’s never a terrible thing to find enjoyment and acceptance in results that sometimes lack that magic.
Here’s to hoping Shane Lowry’s six-shot runaway victory at The 148th Open Championship this past week does not go down that infamous rabbit hole of forgotten triumphs.
Lowry is a world-class player and has been for over a decade, first arriving on the global stage as a 22-year-old amateur at the 2009 Irish Open, where he stunned the golf world with a Cinderella-like win in his national open (Lowry is from Clara, Ireland).
Prior to the start of the tournament last week at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland, Lowry was nothing more than an off-chance dark horse, a skilled veteran with several worldwide wins to his pedigree and in steady recent form.
It was a far cry from the pre-tournament pomp and circumstance surrounding the likes of Ulstermen and longtime friends Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke.
McIlroy played his way out of the championship on Thursday with an opening round 79 all but burying his hopes. Brooks Koepka – who has cemented himself as a contender in every major championship – never found his putting en route to a T-4 finish. Tommy Fleetwood, who started the final round four shots behind Lowry, never posed a true threat Sunday in the howling wind and rain off Ulster’s Causeway Coast.
Yet, as is true in every great underdog story, once the biggest names succumbed to the natural brute and beauty of Royal Portrush, the crowds rallied around their native son and helped produce a career-defining moment.
Sure, golf’s oldest championship doesn’t resonate with the masses as much as a Jim Nantz “Hello friends” on Masters Sunday, but take it for what it is – a chance to showcase the world’s best on the game’s most storied and hallowed links.
Appreciate it for what it was – a proud countryman sporting the Irish tricolor above the heel of his shoes, running away with golf’s oldest trophy and the weight of a proud nation on his shoulders.
Follow Jack Braverman on Twitter @jack_braverman and contact him at jackbraverman@alligator.org.
Ireland's Shane Lowry reacts after making a birdie on the 15th green during the final round of the British Open Golf Championships at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, Sunday, July 21, 2019.
