Slow day for Lowry but glorious for Kearney and Ireland

Shane Lowry got off to a sluggish start and opened with a level par 70 in the weather-delayed Wyndham Championship in North Carolina.

Sedgefield Country Club received over five inches of rain on Thursday as Tropical Storm Debby prevented any play.

A massive clean-up operation allowed the action to go ahead yesterday but Lowry was little inspired, especially on the greens, as he bogeyed the 12th and 15th before getting those shots back at the par-five fifth and the ninth

The Offaly man, who is 10th in the FedExCup standings and on track to make the Tour Championship for the first time, finished his day 10 shots behind Beau Hossler, who shot a 10-under 60 at the Greensboro venue to lead the last regular season event by two shots from Billy Horschel (16 holes).

Seamus Power, who is 69th in the standings with only the top 70 making next week’s first playoff event, the FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis, was two-under after 13 holes when play was suspended.

In the 114th Irish PGA Championship, Royal Dublin’s Niall Kearney (36) claimed the title for the third time when he closed with a bogey-free, six under 66 to win by six strokes from Michael McGeady on 12 under at Palmerstown House Estate.

The former tour regular, champion in 2014 and 2015, carded a course record eight-under 64 in round two to share the 36-hole lead with Glasson Lakehouse’s Colm Moriarty on six-under-par.

But as Moriarty shot 79 to slip back to joint 10th on one over, Kearney birdied the fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth to lead by three strokes at the turn, then added further birdies at the 13th and 16th as McGeady came home in one over for a 71.

“Delighted to get the win and complete a hat trick,” Kearney said. “Seven more to go to equal my fellow Royal Dublin member Christy Snr!

“I’ll get some confidence from the performance. I’ve been working hard on my game and I’ve been playing well so it’s nice to produce it when it matters.”

Richard O’Donovan shot 69 and Tim Rice a 72 to share third on two under with Shane Irwin and Shane Jenkinson a shot further back in fifth after 72s.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Caldwell goes into the weekend just three shots behind Scotland’s Jack McDonald and Denmark’s Lucas Bjerregaard in the Farmfoods Scottish Challenge supported by the R&A.

He made five birdies in a bogey-free 66 to move up to joint ninth on six under at Newmachar.

Dermot McElroy and Conor O’Rourke shot level par 71s to share 47th and 58th on two under and one under, respectively, but Cormac Sharvin and Conor Purcell missed the level par cut by a shot.

Sharvin shot 71 while recent NI Open winner Purcell, who is projected to fall from fourth to fifth in the Road to Mallorca standings, shot 68.

In amateur golf, Ireland won the Men’s and Women’s Home Internationals in Scotand, beating England 11-10 at Murcar Links in the combined event.

The men won the singles 5-3 to triumph 8-4 and capture the Raymond Trophy for the first time since 2021 but the women were second to England following a 6-3 defeat, losing the foursomes 2-1 and the singles 4-2.

Ireland held a narrow 4-3 lead after the morning foursomes.

The Elm Park duo of Emma Fleming and Anna Foster teamed up for the only win for the women, a 1 up victory over Patience Rhodes and Lottie Woad.

However, with two other matches tied and victories for the teams of Colm Campbell (Warrenpoint) and Paul Coughlan (Castleknock) and Thomas Higgins (Roscommon) and Josh Hill (Galgorm), Ireland took a lead into the singles.

Curtis Cup players, Beth Coulter (Kirkistown Castle) and Áine Donegan (Lahinch), both won their matches early and despite losing the next five matches, Ireland steadied things.

Hugh Foley (Royal Dublin), Luke O’Neill (Connemara), Hill and Campbell all won their matches.

In doing so, they secured a 7-7 draw in the afternoon singles and that was enough for a famous 11-10 win for the Irish.

"What an incredible week. It's an amazing achievement from everyone. The team were fantastic and supported each other so well. It's a very proud moment for Niall and I," said Women's Captain Naoimh Quigg.

View the final scoring here