Golf 2009

[pete]

Nice consolation of €500k cheque for Rock. He might not have his first win but has his biggest winnings.

I think that makes it 10 Irish wins on the European Tour in 2008 & 2009. Surely our most successfully sport.

[Youths4Ever]

Fair play to Lowry he held his nerve well could have fallen apart after he missed that putt on the 18th hole the first time around and the way he played the last couple of holes to even be in that position

[endabob1]

Well done Shane, Son of the great Brendan Lowry, a very, very proud Offalyman today.

[Aberdonian Stu]

Yeah I was surprised Rock automatically got the first place cheque. I thought Lowry would have the option of accepting and voiding his amateur status in the process. Is that not what happened with Justin Rose when he got a Top 10 finish in The Open as an amateur?

[endabob1]

No if you enter as an amatuer you're not entitled to any prize money, Rose turned pro after the Open

[Aberdonian Stu]

That's fairly rough. A half million would be rather nice to have in the back pocket.

[endabob1]

His 2 year exemption on the main tour should give him plenty of chances to make more than enough to survive, add to that the sponsorship deals that should follow this result and I think the lad will do fine.

[Aberdonian Stu]

Yeah but I remember Rose had a very tough time adjusting to the pro game for the first couple of years and didn't do terribly well at all before he came into his own.

[endabob1]

Missed something like 15 cuts in a row, but he was younger than Lowry and didn't have the level of amatuer competition experience that Shane would have.

[pete]

He will probably look at how many invites he gets for this season as a means of making his decision. Someone was telling me he might get invite for the Open Championship as an amateur which he will not get as a pro which might have abearing on his decision.

I don't think the Walker Cup has as much prestige as it might have had in the past.

[endabob1]

Played 2 as a pro, missed 2 cuts, it's not as easy as it looks.....

Hope he gets some good rounds in at the challenge tour event this week at Moyvalley.

[pete]

Lowry well & truelly off the radar now which is probably a good thing.

WGC events could be tough on him unless he recovers some form.

[endabob1]

I've just found out that he's only playing in the pro-am & to the actual event, oops....

Pete I don't think it's his form in truth, I just think the real pressure of being a touring pro & needing to make cuts probably hit him. He was under no pressure in Baltray

[pete]

US Open 4th Round

Leaders
Glover -5
Barnes -5
Mahan -3
Fisher -2
Hanson -1

Others
McIllroy +1
Woods +1
McDowell +1

Good show from Irish players.

[Longfordian]

Glover wins it. -4. Fair play to him. I was listening to Des Cahill's show on Friday and somebody texted in who had €20 on Glover at 150/1. Des and the panel were laughing at him. He's the one laughing now.

[endabob1]

Harrington's ability to find water when in contention comes to the fore again!!

Unforgiveable 2nd on 16, pitch out on to the fairway...oops overshoot and end up in deep rough with one foot in the bunker..tournament and a chance to make a huge statement by beating Tiger on his own patch, thrown away.

[paudie]

Harrington still in with a shout in the PGA. 2 shots behind Tiger. Not sure if he is with Tiger in the last pairing.
At least seems to have turned his season around after changing his swing.

[strangeirish]

Harrington's ability to find water when in contention comes to the fore again!!

Unforgiveable 2nd on 16, pitch out on to the fairway...oops overshoot and end up in deep rough with one foot in the bunker..tournament and a chance to make a huge statement by beating Tiger on his own patch, thrown away.

He's imploding again!

[elroy]

He's imploding again!

Oh sweet jesus, five over on a par 3, that was worse than the 16th last wkd, game over for him.

[paudie]

Y E Yang beat Tiger by 3 shots to win. First Asian player to win a major.
Woods was only one behind playing the 18th.

video of Yang chipping in for eagle on 14th to take a 1 shot lead.http://www.pga.com/pgachampionship/2009/index.cfm