Good afternoon, everyone! You’re with Muireann Duffy who will be guiding you through the second half of the 2024 Amgen Irish Open situated at the prestigious Royal County Down.
At present, being the leader of the tournament is none other than Rory McIlory, as he pursues his second Irish Open victory. This potential win carries additional significance as it would mark his first professional title victory within the borders of Northern Ireland.
In his review of the previous day’s proceedings, Philip Reid characterised McIlory’s third round score of 69 as being “resiliently and skilfully carried out”. I recommend you take a look at Reid’s report to familiarise yourself with the sequence of events leading up to this.
Shane Lowry wrapped up his final round with a score 3-under, finishing the entire tournament with a score of 1-under.
McIlroy recently achieved his first birdie post the opening two holes in the 11th, increasing his lead by two shots and also regaining his confidence after a disappointing 10th hole. His total score now stands at 8-under.
Blazing through is England’s Dan Brown who’s finished through 15 and stands 5-under, thanks to a remarkable start with an eagle in the first hole itself.
Remarkable shots from Rasmus Højgaard, especially a striking one from the hill overseeing the 10th hole, have caused him to climb up to third place. The Dane managed to get his ball directly in the hole from the rough, positioning him just two shots away from the leader.
The current scoreboard has Rory McIlory leading at 7-under, followed by Dan Brown at 6-under in the second spot, while Rasmus Højgaard and Matteo Manassero share the third position at 5-under.
The last to tee off today were McIlroy and Italy’s Matteo Manassero, taking to the greens around 1 in the afternoon.
McIlroy led Manassero by a single shot last night, but this extended to three rounds by the sixth today. Despite losing a shot on the seventh and a commendable beginning on the back nine by England’s Daniel Brown, McIlroy’s lead has once again narrowed down to a single shot.
McIlroy just ended the ninth on par after his putt swirled the hole, missing the birdie.
Strap in as we anticipate a thrilling conclusion to this year’s Irish Open!