DOONBEG, Ireland (AP) — Joaquin Niemann took the lead at the Irish Open on Thursday with a 5-under 65, fueled by four consecutive birdies to finish his round. Strong winds significantly impacted play at Trump International, causing slow play and preventing all golfers from completing their rounds.
Shane Lowry shot a 67 and is tied with Shaun Norris. Rory McIlroy, the defending champion, struggled on the 13th hole, recording a double bogey after his tee shot landed in a bunker, finishing the day at 69. Brooks Koepka had a difficult start, with a triple bogey on the first hole, and ended with a 75.
"I felt like I did a solid job of making pars and trying to get to the clubhouse as quick as I could," said Lowry. "I honestly didn't think we were going to get finished. That's probably the longest round of golf I ever played, in a three-ball, anyway. I'm happy with my score."
McIlroy described the conditions as challenging, noting the extended round duration of approximately six hours due to the large field of 138 players and the course layout. "This course isn't conducive to letting you get in a flow," he stated. "Especially the first two days with so many people in the field, there's a lot of stopping and starting. It's hard to get into the rhythm of things."
Niemann, a nine-time winner on the LIV Golf League, attributed his success to keeping his iron shots low against the wind. "You got to hit those tee shots and keep it under the wind, left-to-right wind, right-to-left wind," Niemann explained. "Like every shot into the wind, just times 100 probably. So if it's a bad shot, it's a really bad shot. But if it's a good shot, it was so nice to see it."
Adrian Meronk, Maximilian Steinlechner, and Renato Pa were among those unable to finish their rounds before darkness fell.
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