Shane Lowry backed to last distance at The Open but Offaly man not getting carried away

Shane Lowry is being backed to last The Open distance by fellow countryman and two-time Claret Jug winner Padraig Harrington after shooting his lowest opening round at a major.

But the 37-year-old says he can't think too far ahead and had to remind himself throughout Thursday's round that it was only day one and there's a long way to go, admitting that there might have been "a few pints of Tennent's" sank by the somewhat boisterous crowd.

"I'm pretty happy, but it's only one day," said Lowry. "We've got three more days. I kept telling myself that out there because for some reason I felt like the crowd were getting very excited out there. It was late in the afternoon. A few pints of Tennent's were had out there, I'd say. They were quite excitable out there, and it felt more like the weekend.

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"I just kept on telling myself there's a lot more to do and there's a few days left, so I just kind of stayed in my lane and hit some good shots, and I was pretty happy with how I handled myself."

Lowry stated that he would give anything to give himself a chance to win the prestigious tournament for a second time, adding: "I'm fully aware that I have a job to do over the next three days. Look, I'd give anything to win this tournament again. I'd give anything to give myself a chance to win this tournament again, and that's why I'm here this week. This is obviously a great start to do that."

The world number 33 shot himself to the top of the leaderboard at Royal Troon with a bogey-free round of 66 as he finished on five-under-par for the day.

Lowry sank some fantastic putts throughout his round, which included five birdies, as he putted from distances of over 20 ft on consecutive holes on the back nine (10th and 11th).

He is aiming to win the world's oldest golf tournament for a second time following his historic victory at Royal Portrush in 2019 and for the first time in his career leads the final major of the year going into day two.

Harrington, who was watching Lowry finish his round as he spoke to the media following his own yesterday evening, believes the Offaly man will be very difficult for the chasing pack to see off over the coming days.

"Shane when he gets in front, he’s good," stated Harrington. "He generally stays up there. He’s a front runner. For him, he needs to get going. He’s not someone who generally chases from behind. It’s very positive for him."

Responding to Harrington's comment, Lowry said: "It's just hard to get there. Going against the best golfers in the world, it's hard to get to the front. When you do get to the front, you kind of have to keep going and keep your foot down, and yeah, see where it leaves you at the weekend."

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