Lowry rated as favourite to win Irish Open

Shane Lowry is rated as the favourite to win the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open which starts tomorrow (Thursday) at Galgorm Castle.

The Offaly golfer famously won the Irish Open crown as an amateur in Baltray in 2009.

Lowry won the Open Championship in sensational fashion in Royal Portrush last year. And with the 2020 event cancelled, he remains the reigning Open champion.

In this most unusual of sporting years, all Irish eyes will be on Lowry this week with many big names not making the journey to Antrim.

Reigning champion John Rahm won’t be defending his title and the field is also missing big names like Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell.

The Irish Open was originally meant to be take place in Mount Juliet last May, but the intervention of the Covid-19 pandemic scuppered those plans.

After the Ryder Cup was cancelled, the Irish Open was put back on the schedule at a new venue in Co. Antrim.

Following a gruelling US Open at Winged Foot last week, Clara native Lowry is back on Irish turf and ready to rock Galgorm.

After taking a few days to recover from a mixed US performance, Lowry remains favourite with Paddy Power at 7/1 to take his first Irish Open in a decade at the rescheduled tournament.

Spokesman Paddy Power said: “Despite a disappointing result in the US last week, Shane showed some good resilience and it’s hard to see past him winning."

There will also be attention on George Coetzee, who is close behind at 11/1, followed by Wilco Nienaber at 22/1.

Meanwhile, fellow Irishman Padraig Harrington sits way down the field at 66/1.

Irish Open odds

7/1: Shane Lowry

11/1: George Coetzee

22/1: Wilco Nienaber

22/1: Ryan Fox

25/1: Jason Scrivener

25/1: Connor Syme

28/1: Laurie Canter

28/1: Garrick Higgo

30/1: Justin Harding

30/1: Wil Besseling

66/1: Padraig Harrington