Ian Walton/Reuters
PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland — This time, Shane Lowry held firm with a four-stroke lead at a major championship.
Lowry, a 32-year-old Irishman with a thick beard and an easy smile, won the British Open at Royal Portrush on Sunday despite gusting winds and often-heavy rain.
His umbrella collapsed at one stage on the front nine, but Lowry never did the same on a challenging afternoon when even par was quite an accomplishment.
His final round of 72 allowed him to finish at 15-under par and to win the first British Open played on the island of Ireland since 1951.