Publications
Partners
Drogheda - Irish amateur Shane Lowry won the Irish Open here on Sunday beating England's Robert Rock in a play-off.
The 22-year-old showed nerves of steel having led at both the halfway and third round stages and while he had a mid-round jitter he gathered himself to force a play-off with Rock.
Lowry, who was engulfed by ecstatic Irish spectators when he sank the winning putt, becomes just the third amateur to win a European title.
Two years ago at the Estoril Open Spaniard Pablo Martin became the first amateur to win a European title and only three months ago New Zealander Danny Lee became the second at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Australia.
For Rock it meant more heartbreak as he finished runner-up for the third time this season. The 32-year-old came second at both the Alfred Dunhill Championship and last week's BMW Italian Open.
In regulation play Lowry showed great composure at the last to place his third shot to within a few feet on the par five hole after Rock had found trouble down the right.
But he missed the short putt and Rock recovered to save par and force extra holes.
In all the pair went back to the 18th tee four times.
On the last visit both drove onto a footpath to the right, but both recovered and it was Lowry who had the birdie putt - albeit from 20 feet - as Rock was forced to chip from the fringe.
Lowry's putt curled a fraction wide but Rock nudged his six foot par putt right, leaving the plus five handicapper to join Martin and Lee in the record books as amateurs to have won on The European Tour.
