Shane Lowry is only one round away from becoming the first amateur to win The 3 Irish Open.
On another extraordinary day at Baltray course, when play was suspended for nearly five hours because of strong winds, the burly 22-year-old from Offaly in 
What a difference a week makes. Seven days ago, in the Irish Amateur Open Championship at Royal Dublin, Lowry finished equal fifth.
Today, however, he can become an Irish legend by winning the national professional title and become the second amateur to triumph in a European
Lowry had played only one hole when officials suspended play at 10am with balls moving on some of the greens in the 35mph gusts.
Holding a two-shot overnight lead, the suspension would have thrown many,especially an inexperienced golfer.
But Lowry is made of stern stuff, and in the company of two established Tour players, Englishman Rock and Jamie Donaldson, of Wales, he thrilled the bedraggled home fans.
“All credit to the amateur,” said three times Irish Open winner Colin Montgomerie after a battling 72.
“I saw during my round that he was one-under through 13 holes. That’s tremendous. He’s doing great so far.”
Lowry only faltered once, at the last. Two ahead, he three putted the 18th green, while Rock birdied it.
The Belfry-attached Englishman, yet to win on Tour, hit a 69 – six shots below the day’s average score.
Like Lee before him in February, Lowry wouldn’t be eligible to take the huge £438,327 first prize.
But he would earn a two-year exemption on the European Tour – if he decided to turn professional within two weeks.
However, he is a certainty to play for Colin Dalglish’s GB & I Walker Cup team against the USA at Merion in September, and he may opt to delay turning pro until after the match.
While Lowry is having the week of his young life, he remains a long way from home.
That last-hole error may come back to haunt him.
There are a number of hungry pros on his tail, including Scots Alastair Forsyth, Marc Warren and Montgomerie.
Forsyth has been creeping ever closer to his first win since the Madeira Island Open 14 months ago with three top-10 finishes in his last four events, and a 71 yesterday lifted him into equal fourth on 10-under-par.
“I played really solidly,” said Forsyth.
“The only bogey I had was at the par-five sixth, where I hit a drive downwind 350 yards and had only an eight iron to the green. To take a six from there was infuriating.
“The only putt of any length I holed was a 15-footer at the ninth. I missed half-a-dozen from that range.”
Warren (71) and his World Cup winning partner, Monty (72), are on nine-under-par.
“These are the toughest conditions I’ve played in this year,” said Warren. “You have to grind everything out.
“You even had to be careful with a 12-inch putt. At the 12th, a putt was going straight into the hole with only a couple of feet to go and a gust of wind blew it eight inches wide.”
Monty made his day be holing a 12-foot birdie putt on the last green. But he refused to talk about the possibility of winning a fourth Irish title.
“There are some great players in between me and Shane Lowry,” he said.
“I just want to finish as high as I can to get more world ranking points.”
When play finally did restart at 3.15pm, course record holder Graeme McDowell was missing.
Less than 24 hours after shattering the record with a 61, the Ryder Cup star was on his way home to Northern Ireland, withdrawing with shin splints.
“I struggled to walk from the range to the 10th tee for my 7.25am starting time,” said the disappointed McDowell.
After treatment, he teed off in the howling wind and rain, but when play was halted less than three hours later he had dropped five shots, and effectively was out of the tournament.
