Open champion Shane Lowry parades Claret Jug at All-Ireland semi-final
Last Updated: 28/07/19 4:11pm
Shane Lowry continued his Open celebrations as he paraded the Claret Jug at Croke Park ahead of the All-Ireland semi-final between Kilkenny and Limerick.
The Offaly hero was given a standing ovation by the 55,000 fans at GAA headquarters shortly before the contest, which saw Kilkenny advance to the final with a thrilling 1-21 to 2-17 victory.
Lowry claimed his maiden major title in the first Open to be played at Royal Portrush since 1951 last week, defying the elements on the final day to earn a six-shot victory which he set up with a blistering course-record 63 in the third round.
The 32-year-old subsequently withdrew from the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational as well as next week's Wyndham Championship, clearly intent on enjoying his first fortnight as Open champion away from the golf course.
Lowry also has a significant family connection to GAA, with father, Brendan, and his uncles, Mick and Sean all part of the Offaly team that won the Senior Football Championship with a narrow victory over Kerry in the 1982 All-Ireland final at Croke Park.
His peers in Memphis, meanwhile, have been unanimous in their praise of the Dunluce Links at Royal Portrush while also paying tribute to Lowry's superb performance in Northern Ireland.
The likes of Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey and US Open champion Gary Woodland thoroughly enjoyed the test provided by Portrush and insisted Lowry was a worthy winner of The 148th Open, with Garcia proclaiming the course as one of the best he has played in his 23 Open appearances.
Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland
Watch the second All-Ireland semi-final between Tipperary and Wexford live on Sky Sports Arena on Sunday from 2:30pm, and then switch to Sky Sports Golf for the conclusion of the Senior Open followed by the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational, where Rory McIlroy leads going into the final round ...
