Lowry, who teed off at 11.40am, immediately birdied the opening hole. Following a run of pars on the next three holes, the Clara-native claimed his second birdie of the round at the 5th hole.

Further birdies on 10, 11 and and 14, with a bogey in between at the 12th was soon followed by his sixth birdie of the day at the penultimate hole. With a par on the last, Lowry finished the tournament on -12.

Pádraig Harrington had an incredible start to his final round at the Horizon Irish Open. The US Open Senior Champion made 6 birdies in the opening eight holes, and turned in 30.

The closing nine holes were not as successful for the Dubliner however. A double bogey at 10 saw him lose momentum. Bogeys at 16 and 18 with a birdie in between at the seventeenth hole saw the former dual Open Champion end the 2020 Horizon Irish Open on -3 for the round – his best of the week, on an overall score of -7.

Waterford’s Séamas Power had three birdies and an eagle at the par three 6th. He posted a round of four under par, finishing the tournament on seven under par.

Niall Kearney had four birdies and 2 bogeys in a two under par round of 70 and ends this year’s Horizon Irish Open on -4.

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The Waterford man carded a three under par round of 68 today and finds himself on -8, three shots behind the tournament leader Jorge Campillo of Spain.

US Open Senior Champion Pádraig Harrington posted a 72, a shot worse off than his opening round. Today’s round which included 6 birdies, 2 bogeys and a double bogey six on the seventh hole leaves the Dubliner on -3 for the tournament.

An incredible four birdies in the last four holes saw Shane Lowry stay involved at Mount Juliet for the weekend. Prior to the 15^th hole, the Offaly man had four bogeys and only two birdies on his card. His round of 70 left him on the cut-off mark of -3.

Niall Kearney, the joint-leading Irish player yesterday finds himself eight shots off the leader on -3 alongside Shane Lowry after shooting one over par round of 73 in the second round.

Amateurs Mark Power and Colm Campbell Jnr ended their tournament on with rounds of par and three-over par respectively.

The other Irish golfers John Murphy, Cormac Sharvin, Jonathan Cadwell, Paul Dunne and David Higgins all ended their involvement in the 2022 Horizon Irish Open when failing to make the cut.

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Power and Kearney both carded 68s for rounds of -4.

PGA Tour-based Power, who is appearing at the Irish Open for the first time since 2019, had three birdies and two bogeys in the opening nine holes. Further birdies at 10, 16 and 17 meant the Waterford man finished with an opening round of 68.

Thirty-four-year-old Niall Kearney joins Power on -4. The word-ranked number 498 had a bogey at the eight. On the back nine he carded 5 birdies eventually singing for a 68.

US Senior Open Champion Pádraig Harrington, back on Irish soil since his Senior major win last Sunday, was two-under at the turn following birdies at the fifth and eight holes – both par fives – and ended his first round on -2

John Murphy shot a two-under par round of 70, with 69s for Shane Lowry and Jonathan Caldwell seeing them end the day on -1.

Irish amateurs Mark Power and Colin Campbell Jnr both signed for rounds of level par 72, as did Cormac Sharvin.

David Higgins began with an opening round of +6, meaning he has a lot to do in round two on Friday.

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The New Zealander shot eight birdies in an -8 opening round at Thomastown, Co Kilkenny, and holds the clubhouse lead.

“I’m more surprised, to be honest, than anything else” admitted the opening round leader. “I’ve been fighting it on the range the last couple days after the weekend, and certainly didn’t look like it early in the round. I made a couple of birdies, but I was scrapping away, and then stop and collect on 7, 8, hit a great wedge shot in there and made a few putts as well.”

Discussing his round of -8, the New Zealander stated:

“(My) short game kept me in it early and a couple good up-and-downs. My wedge play was really good. I think I hit it stiff on 7, 8, that tee on 7, 8, 1, and 2, and then kind of the birdies there with a wedge, and on top of that holed a couple of nice putts. So it’s just one of those days where everything went really well and I managed to keep it in the fairway for the most part, which around this golf course, if you’re in the rough, that’s pretty tough out there, which I found sort of through the first six holes.”

Frenchman Frederic Lacroix is a shot behind on -7 after his round of 65. He is tied in second place with German Marcel Schneider, Fabrizio Zanotti of Paraguay, and Spaniard Jorge Campillo.

Tied on six under are Antoine Rozner of France, Englishmen Dale Whitnell, Jordan Smith and Aaron Rai, South African Thriston Lawrenece, and Spain’s Pablo Larrazábal.

Séamas Power and Niall Kearney are the leading Irish players after first round 68s for a -4 score.

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