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SPORTSMonday 10 August 2015
Lowry wins Bridgestone
for a world golf title
Shane Lowry, from Ireland, holds up the trophy after winning DOUG FERGUSON said. “Obviously, it went behind him, pulled his ap-
the Bridgestone Invitational golf tournament at Firestone AP Golf Writer through the tree, and the proach on the 17th and
Country Club, Sunday, Aug. 9, 2015, in Akron, Ohio. Lowry AKRON, Ohio (AP) — With rest is history. I couldn’t be- faced a tough chip from
finished the tournament at 11-under par. Associated Press no mistakes and two great lieve I was seeing the ball behind the green and he
escapes from the trees, coming down from there, could only get within 6
Shane Lowry of Ireland coming down on the feet. He holed that for an-
introduced himself on a green.” other big par to keep his
world stage Sunday by He won by two shots over cushion.
winning the Bridgestone In- Bubba Watson, who also “I was just trying to make
vitational. shot 66. two pars coming in after I
He locked up victory in this Lowry won the Irish Open saw Bubba make his birdie
World Golf Championship as an amateur in 2009, and on 17,” Lowry said. “The up-
with a shot through the he picked up his first Euro- and-down on 17 was prob-
trees from left of the 18th pean Tour victory in 2012 in ably the biggest up-and-
fairway that descended Portugal. down of the week consid-
over a bunker and settled In a final round at Fires- ering the circumstances.”
just over 10 feet away for tone against a trio of ma- The finish was a bonus
one final birdie and a 4-un- jor champions, Lowry pro- and meant he could cel-
der 66. duced a flawless card of ebrate early, for it gave
“I was trying to get it to the no bogeys and plenty of Lowry a three-shot mar-
front right of the green, but emotional fist pumps to gin over Furyk and Rose,
I pulled it a little bit,” Lowry celebrate the biggest win the only players still on the
of his career. He is the first course. Graeme McDow-
non-PGA Tour member to ell, his close friend, waited
win a WGC since Martin around to congratulate
Kaymer at the 2011 HSBC him outside the scoring
Champions. area. Lowry had qualified
“I can’t believe it,” Lowry eight previous times for the
said. “I’ve played well most WGCs, and he famously
of the year, but these last took out Rory McIlroy in
four days are very special.” the first round of the Match
Jim Furyk and Justin Rose, Play in 2013. Furyk played
who shared the 54-hole with him Saturday and
lead, couldn’t keep up. liked what he saw.
Both closed with a 72 to tie “What I had been told a
for third, four shots behind. couple years ago was that
Lowry had a one-shot lead he had a beautiful short
when Furyk made his sec- game, kind of a scrappy
ond bogey on the front player,” Furyk said Satur-
nine, but the 28-year-old day. “I don’t think that did
Irishman appeared to be it justice. I thought he hit
in trouble with a wild hook the ball pretty well. I liked
off the 10th tee. Instead, his game.”
he powered a wedge as Lowry finished at 11-under
high as he could, over a 269 and earned $1.57 mil-
tree and listened for the lion, along with a PGA Tour
gallery’s roar to hear the card for the next three
results. It plopped down years. He had been a spe-
and rolled to within tap- cial temporary member.
in range for a birdie that Watson was stunned that
gave him control, and he two wedges down the
never let up. stretch bounced so hard
Just as important as his on the greens and took
birdies were two pars on away reasonable birdie
the back nine when he chances — one on the
was trying to steady his par-5 16th and on the clos-
nerves. ing hole after a drive that
Lowry found a deep bun- rolled out nearly 380 yards.
ker left of the 14th fairway, “I nipped it, took paint off
came up short of the green the ball and cut it with
and faced an 18-foot par a 63-degree lob wedge
putt that he buried to stay and it just bounced,”
two shots ahead. Watson Watson said. “Now know-
was up to his old theatrics ing that if I had hit the
with a shot out of the trees tree, it spins more on 18.
to 6 feet for birdie on the That’s what I should have
17th to get within one shot. done. Tell Lowry that was
Lowry, playing two groups unbelievable.”q
